In All But Blood
by T-Rock14
Summary: Roman the Fox and Seth Kerran. Brothers in all but blood. It's how it's always been for them both since childhood. But when Seth is captured during a high-risk mission, Sally decides a rescue mission is too risky. A decision that leaves Roman with a difficult choice of his own to make: A choice that will not just affect him, but the lives of those he holds dear as well.
1. Chapter 1: Repression

**Chapter 1: Repression**

 _ **A village in East Efrika, 15**_ _ **th**_ _ **October 3241, 1:30 pm**_

The first thing Elias spotted when he exited the troop transport were the bodies.

Countless amounts of them lay scattered across the ground beneath him, with some piled onto one another in an effort to clear up the area of the gruesome sight around them. The rest lay where Elias suspected they had been killed, all of them either littered with blaster wounds, or lying on the floor in pieces, the result of having been put to the lightsaber.

He stepped down the final few steps of the transport and knelt by the body of a young male anthropomorphic cheetah in his early twenties. He was holding a blaster in his hands, which suggested he had tried to defend himself against the inevitable end that awaited him. The young man had been shot repeatedly in the chest and abdominal area, and likely been left to die from the wounds, the result of heavy internal bleeding that came about when wounded by blaster rifles.

Elias studied the dead cheetah's face with a look of disappointment on his own. _What a waste,_ he thought. The dead cheetah looked so handsome, so promising. Yet he had decided to risk his life in order to 'free' his homeworld from the grip of the Empire. A futile effort, to say the least. The Empire would not be leaving this world for quite some time, yet. Much less Elias himself.

The village which he stood on the outskirts of was just one of many new 'cells' of Mobian citizens who had openly rebelled against the Imperial occupation of the planet, striking against Imperial supply bases and sometimes even Imperial military bases, if they were bold enough and strong enough. And as recently as half an hour before his arrival, it had become the latest of these cells to fall to the might of the Galactic Empire.

He was driven from his thoughts by a voice he had come to love dearly since their first meeting two years before calling him by his title:

"Grand Inquisitor?"

Elias looked up, and smiled underneath his mask. "Colonel Aryn."

"Reporting for duty, sir." Colonel Aryn replied, smiling back. She was flanked by two Imperial Stormtroopers, both of whom she quickly dismissed with a curt nod.

"At ease." Elias said, stepped forward. "Anything to report?"

"We've killed most of their fighters, but we've left a few of their key commanders alive for now. They refuse to tell us who exactly who the main leader is, though." Colonel Aryn replied. "Your colleague is getting rather impatient and suggested we should just kill them all and be done with it, but we've managed to convince him to stay his hand until you arrived."

"That fails to surprise me. Death has always been a favoured punishment of the Third Brother." Elias replied. "Only recently, I've had to reprimand him for killing a promising young officer who'd simply laughed at the joke a colleague had made at his expense."

The colonel frowned. "Further proof you should ask Lord Vader to send a more moderate replacement."

"I doubt he would acquiesce to the request." Elias replied. "Lord Vader told me I shouldn't ask for any more 'assistance' as he puts it, unless he feels the need to send some."

"Well perhaps if you told him your colleague requires further training, he would." Colonel Aryn replied.

"Perhaps." Elias said. "But first, let's see what the Third Brother has for me." With this, he and the Colonel walked towards the centre of the village.

* * *

 _ **Centre of the village, not long later…**_

"About time." The Third Brother snapped as he saw the Grand Inquisitor enter the area, alongside the colonel. "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come at all."

"Then you should learn to be more patient, Third Brother." The Grand Inquisitor replied as he walked up. Looking away, he smiled. "Now what do we have here?" He asked as he walked up.

An entire company of Stormtroopers had encircled the captive rebels, who were all huddled in one large group. One Stormtrooper, likely the commander, came up to Elias and saluted.

"Approximately two-hundred captives in full, Grand Inquisitor." The trooper reported. "Nine of which are the key commanders of the rebel cell."

"Excellent." Elias said. "And where are these key commanders?"

"In the centre of the captives." The commander said, gesturing with his rifle.

"Seize them and bring them to me." Elias commanded, facing the trooper. "I'll leech their leader out from them."

Within seconds, the nine that had been specified were brought before him. All appeared to have been beaten to some degree, indicating they had been interrogated prior to his arrival. One of them, a big burly Water Bison, looked the worst, with one eye swollen completely shut and with numerous lacerations leaking blood.

Elias regarded all of them before asking: "Do you know who I am?"

"No, and we don't care. Just like we don't care for the oppressive regime you serve." Snapped the water bison, who quickly received a rifle butt to the face for his troubles, opening up a fresh laceration on his face.

Elias shrugged and said: "You may not care who I am now, but depending on the next few minutes, you'll either know me as your worst enemy or your very best friend." He folded his arms and asked: "So tell me: Who among you is considered the leader of your merry band of dissidents?"

Again, it was the Water Bison who spoke: "Funny. Your friends asked us the same question." He was about to get another smash from one of the Stormtrooper's rifles when Elias held out a stopping hand.

"Let him finish." Elias warned.

"As I was saying: As with your friends, we're not telling you anything." The Bison replied.

Elias frowned. "Pity. Looks like we're going the worst enemy route." He said with sarcastic regret as he pointed to a random civilian. "Bring them to me." He said.

Within moments, the prisoner, a young male anthropomorphic cheetah, similar to the dead one Elias had seen earlier, had been brought to him.

Elias smiled, looked at the Water Bison, and without a second thought, had drawn and ignited his lightsaber, beheading the cheetah faster than the Stormtroopers could react.

"You bastard!" The Bison bellowed. "He was just a boy!" He made to attack Elias, but was restrained and hit in the head, again.

Turning to the now horrified nine Mobians, including the bison, Elias said: _"Now,_ here's what's going to happen: For every time you fail to reveal your leader to me, one of your fellow villagers will die." He motioned for another to be brought forward, this time, a beautiful female anthropomorphic lioness. "Now tell me, who is your leader?!" He snarled, brandishing his lightsaber.

This time, the entire group remained silent.

"So be it." Elias replied darkly as he turned and stabbed the lioness dead centre in the heart. Drawing his blade out, he had another civilian brought forward, and repeated the question. When answers were not given, he again beheaded the civilian. Bringing over another civilian, he repeated the question. Again, answers were not forthcoming. Beheading that one as well, Elias scoffed. "Fine. You want to be tough nuts? Then I'd best find someone to crack you all open." He scanned the crowd of terrified civilians, before his eyes fixated on someone: An anthropomorphic Caracal child, barely more than two or three years of age. Pointing towards the child, he commanded: _"Bring me that boy."_

The Stormtroopers moved in, any villagers that tried to resist being beaten down. The child's mother tried to resist, but the troopers simply shot and left her dying on the floor, dragging the child over to Elias, despite the child holding out his hands to his dying mother, crying his little eyes out.

Once the boy had been brought to him, Elias extinguished his lightsaber and hooked it back to his belt, and instead drew a large knife from his belt, brandishing it in front of the key rebel leaders. Grabbing the child roughly by the hair, Elias said: "Now then… care to tell me who your leader is _now?"_

"You're a monster." Shouted another of the leaders, an anthropomorphic female cheetah in her forties. "First you kill both of my boys and now you threaten an innocent child? Shame on you."

"A monster, eh?" Elias replied, smiling sadistically. Looking to the boy, he said: "Hear that, little one? I'm a monster." He looked at the leaders, and shrugged. "A pity that _wasn't_ the answer I was looking for." He snarled. At this, he yanked the boy's head upwards, exposing the young boy's throat. But as he made to cut the boy's throat, a lone voice forcefully shouted:

"Enough!"

* * *

Elias lowered his knife, and looked up.

Standing before him, flanked by the rest of the key rebel leaders, was an elderly anthropomorphic Caracal, who bore some similarities to the boy in Elias' grasp, and the child's mother, who now lay dead.

"You've killed enough people today, Darksider." The Caracal said. "I won't let my grandson be the next one you kill."

Elias let the boy go and sheathed his knife. "So what do they call you?" He asked.

"Caleb." The caracal answered. "They call me Caleb."

Elias folded his arms and scoffed. "Caleb, huh?" He asked sarcastically. With an almost casual wave of his hand, he said: "Seize him."

Despite resistance, Caleb was restrained, and his colleagues returned to the circle, joining Caleb's grandson, who looked on with large, tearful and fearful eyes.

The Third Brother drew his lightsaber and made to kill Caleb, but Elias stopped him.

"He's coming with us." Elias said.

The Third Brother failed to move from his position, which led to Elias stepping over personally and pushing him away from Caleb. "Leave him be, Third Brother." Elias snarled.

Reluctantly, The Third Brother relented, turning off his lightsaber.

Elias looked to Colonel Aryn and said: "We're done here."

"So we are." The colonel said with a smile, which faded as she asked: "What of the villagers?"

Elias looked towards them: All staring at him with large eyes that pleaded for mercy. With no emotion visible on his masked face, Elias growled: "They're of no use to us now. Kill them all."

"NO!" Caleb shouted in horror, as the Stormtroopers opened fire on his people, cutting them down like cattle.

All while Elias casually strode away, listening to the screams of those that were dying. All in a day's work for him.

* * *

 **Hello guys, and Happy New Year!**

 **I was initially planning on publishing this on New Year's Day, but I never got around to it in the end. So I decided, since I now have a small reprieve from some heavy revision, to start publishing my next Star Wars and Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfiction: In All But Blood.**

 **Dark beginning, right? Well, this fic's going to have a dark tone. You'll know when the dark parts of the fanfiction are when you see them.**

 **I have been working on this fic tirelessly throughout the Festive Period into the New Year, so I have completed the majority of the chapters. As a result, unless something else comes up or I don't get round to it, I will be uploading chapters daily.**

 **See you tomorrow.**

 **T-Rock14**


	2. Chapter 2: Grave Tidings

**Chapter 2: Grave Tidings**

 _ **Forest near Angel Island Village, 15:45 pm…**_

Miles 'Tails' Prower sensed both coming towards him, one to each side, closing in on him like a pack of predators on its prey. Only this time, he was ready for them.

Snapping his eyes open, he rapidly leaped into the air, calling his lightsaber to his hand via the Force as he did. Landing deftly on his feet, he ignited his lightsaber, watching the blue blade flare to life, just as three other lightsabers descended upon him. Blocking all three with just his blade, he kicked the one wielding one lightsaber in the gut, sending them away while he focused on the more challenging opponent first: The one wielding two lightsabers.

The dual-wielding opponent charged, a whirlwind of movement as he attacked Tails aggressively, using the fourth form of lightsaber combat, Ataru.

Tails fended off all of the attacks, albeit with some moderate difficulty, before ducking another slash, using the momentum to sweep his foe's legs out from underneath him. Spinning his lightsaber, he made to deliver a coup de grace, but as he brought his weapon down, he sensed his other opponent attempting to attack. Quickly blocking the first strike, Tails managed to fend off the assault that followed before cutting his opponent off with a kick to the knee, followed by a loathsome knee strike to the face. Seizing that one's lightsaber, he quickly blocked the attacks from his dual-wielding adversary, before managing to kick both lightsabers from his opponent's hands in quick succession.

Satisfied of his victory, Tails pointed one lightsaber at the person he was facing, and the opponent he had downed with the knee strike. "I win." Tails said, smirking triumphantly.

"And in pretty convincing fashion, I'll add." Said the opponent whose lightsaber he had stolen. "Though you could have defeated me _without_ smashing me in the face with your knee."

Tails smirked, handing him back his lightsaber. "Yeah, but I needed to finish you off quickly so I could deal with Seth."

"He's got a point, Rome." Seth Kerran said as he retrieved his lightsabers. "Had he not hit you with that move, I would have taken him from behind and he'd have lost."

"Kay, I'll give that to you." Roman the Fox said as he rubbed his jaw. "Geez, you hit me hard, Tails. Try to ease up."

"Will Elias, The Second Sister or the Third Brother ease up their hits when we face them again?" Tails asked.

"Oh, shut up." Roman replied as Tails and Seth laughed. Walking over, he patted Tails on the shoulder and nodded. "Regardless, you did good with that one, buddy. Next time, try and see if you can beat both of us with just the lightsaber you have. Sound like a plan?"

"It sure does." Tails replied. "So how about we head back to the village and catch a bit of a break? It isn't like we want to hang around for too long."

"Yeah." Seth replied. "Ahsoka would kill me if we did."

Roman and Tails both smirked. Ahsoka was Seth's heavily pregnant Togruta girlfriend, due to give birth in a month's time. Ahsoka also happened to be a bit of a prankster, and whenever Seth was out for too long, she'd usually rig up a prank to surprise him when he returned. It seemed that pregnancy brought out a more mischievous side to Ahsoka.

Roman clapped his hands together and said: "Well, no use standing around here like statues. Let's get back to the village."

"Yeah, let's." Tails agreed, and with that, the trio quickly departed and headed for the village.

* * *

 _ **Angel Island Village, 16:00 pm…**_

The first and only two people to greet the trio at the village outskirts were unsurprisingly Ahsoka Tano herself, and the simply stunning girlfriend of Roman the Fox, Ashley the Cat.

"You're late." Ahsoka said as her boyfriend and his fellow Jedi approached, eyeing Seth with a smirk. She hadn't changed much in the three months since the Battle of Artika Base, save for the inescapable sight of her expanded womb, which had swollen to the size of a small boulder to accommodate the life growing within her.

"Late?" Seth asked rhetorically, greeting his girlfriend with a gentle kiss.

"By approximately thirty-eight seconds." Ahsoka replied.

"Uh, that isn't really enough to constitute getting angry about." Roman pointed out as he kissed Ashley.

"See? I told you they wouldn't agree with you on your ideas of lateness, Ahsoka." Ashley said, turning to Ahsoka. Ashley hadn't changed much either since the Battle of Artika Prison, save for seemingly grow infinitely more beautiful. At least, that's what Roman believed.

Ahsoka shrugged. "I guess I can let you off _this_ time, Seth." She said, attempting to kiss him. She was thwarted as Seth ducked quickly and nimbly, giving her rounded belly a quick kiss, at which she smiled.

Popping up, Seth shrugged and said: "Couldn't help myself."

Ahsoka chuckled and kissed Seth passionately, as the others watched.

Roman smiled at his friend's happiness before he felt Ashley pull him closer, saying:

"Getting any ideas, Roman?" Ashley asked.

Roman smiled and shrugged. "What if I was?" He asked as he faced his girlfriend.

"Well, then we've got something planned for tonight, then." Ashley said in a 'nudge-nudge-wink-wink' tone.

Tails, who was watching, heard that little snippet of information, and groaned. _Oh brother,_ he thought. His house was next door to Ashley and Roman's home, and whenever they had explored one another's bodies in the manner they were planning to do that very night, they had oft kept Tails awake, which had led to some rather cranky moments from Tails the morning after. Determined to change the subject, he asked: "Moving on from talk of sexual intercourse and the planned creation of children, is there any reason why I see no-one milling about town at the moment save for civilians and lower-ranking Freedom Fighters?"

Ahsoka and Ashley both frowned. "We were sent to inform you that Sally's called an inner-circle meeting to discuss a distress signal we received." Ahsoka said.

Roman scowled. Since their successful destruction of Artika Base three months prior, several separate rebel cells had sprang up around the planet, fighting against the Empire. He remembered working with several of said groups to take down Imperial targets on several occasions. But the Empire had been quick to destroy said cells before they could become a major problem for them. Roman suspected that the Imperials had now just claimed another victim. "Where'd the signal originate from? He asked.

"Somewhere in Eastern Efrika, according to what she told us." Ashley replied.

"Fuck." Roman sighed. The Freedom Fighters had worked with a cell from that area about a week ago, led by a wise old Caracal named Caleb, who Roman had come to like. "If it's Caleb's cell, then that's bad news."

"Tell us about it." Ashley said. Caleb's cell had been one of the best organised cells besides the Freedom Fighters themselves, and their capabilities in combat had not been lost on the Freedom Fighters. If it was indeed Caleb's cell, then the Freedom Fighters had lost a very valuable ally.

Seth sighed. "Well, no use sitting around. Let's go find out who got hit _this_ time."

The others nodded, and together, they set off for the meeting area, at the Master Emerald Shrine.

* * *

 _ **Master Emerald Shrine, 16:15 pm**_

"Glad you could join us, you five." Sally called out as Roman, Ashley, Tails, Ahsoka and Seth all entered the shrine. She was surrounded by the other Freedom Fighters as well: Team Rose, consisting of Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit, Big the Cat, Sasha the Wolf and Blaze the Cat; Team Dark, that being Shadow the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega, The Chaotix, those among them being Knuckles the Echidna, his girlfriend Shade the Echidna, Vector the Crocodile, Mighty the Armadillo, Ray the Flying Squirrel, Espio the Chameleon and Charmy Bee, Roman and Seth's other team members, those being the clone troopers Shatter and Tusk, and finally, Sally's husband of the past two years, Sonic the Hedgehog; The Hero of Mobius.

Roman and the rest of his groups stepped further into the room, the former folding his arms. "So what's this about a distress signal from Eastern Efrika, then?" Roman asked.

Sally sighed. "We've traced the signal to its origin, and it isn't good news: The signal came from Caleb's village."

Roman blew his stack: _**"FUCK!"**_ The vulpine Jedi shouted, which suddenly drew the attention of Cream, who chastised Roman:

"Roman! What do I keep telling you about that language of yours?"

Roman turned to Cream with a look that made her back off, followed with a steely comeback of: "Once you find yourself in a position superior to mine, _then_ you can tell me to watch my language. And besides, given what I just heard, I'm sure I'm allowed to cuss _at least_ a few times."

"Roman's got a point, Cream." Sally said. "Remember that Roman views Caleb as a good friend. Imagine how you'd feel if this was Amy we were talking about."

Cream frowned and folded her arms. At eleven she had started to blossom into a fine young girl, with curves forming in all the right places. But moreover she had started to become almost like her mother in terms of her stance on etiquette, although she was not as much a hardliner as her mother had been. Which had spared her the fate her mother had suffered in terms of being a favoured target for Roman's pranks.

Turning once again to Sally, Roman asked: "So, what're we going to do?"

"I'm leading a small team over there to investigate. Said team will consist of Sonic, you, Seth, Shatter, Tusk, Tails and Ashley. We need to go down there and search for survivors. That is if the Empire hasn't rounded them up already."

Roman nodded. "When do we leave?" He asked.

"Within the hour." Sally said. "Were I you, I'd best get ready."

* * *

 **Sorry for the slight delay. Only recently got back from watching the new Assassin's Creed movie with a friend.**

 **Good film, although they could have done one or two things better. Such as separate the ancestral fight scenes from the modern fight scenes, which just made the whole thing seem disjointed, and, actually have a _proper_ Animus. Not that convoluted contraption we saw in the movie.**

 **Regardless, thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please, leave a review in the appropriate section to tell me what you enjoyed and what you think I could have done better, and if you _really_ enjoyed it, then favourite and follow this fanfiction, so that you will be notified whenever I get a new chapter uploaded. Which will be daily, so keep a lookout.**

 **Regardless, thank you all again for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!), with the next chapter, which has the Freedom Fighters arrive at the scene of the crime, so to speak.**

 **T-Rock14**


	3. Chapter 3: Grave Discovery

**Chapter 3: Grave Discovery**

 _ **Outskirts of Caleb's village, 18:30 pm**_

Roman could already see that things weren't good as he descended the ramp of the Empire's Bane. Looking over the large hill that currently hid Caleb's village from view, Roman could see a pillar of smoke rising directly above the area Caleb's village was. Tightening his fists, Roman was about to rush over the hill to investigate for himself, but a gentle hand found his arm. Turning, his heart lifted slightly as he found himself staring into the eyes of Ashley.

"Are you alright?" Ashley asked. Her blue eyes shone bright with concern for her lover.

Roman gave a hesitant nod to her question before saying: "Better than if I was here without you."

Ashley smiled. "Good to hear." She looked at the plume of smoke rising over the hill, and her face became a scowl. "Let's just hope that someone escaped alive."

"Not to sound selfish, but preferably Caleb and his family." Roman replied. Caleb had a young daughter in her early twenties who had a child of her own from a previous relationship. As well as Caleb, Roman had taken to those two as well, often amusing the child with Force tricks like levitating fruit and other food with the Force before giving it to the boy. Roman only prayed those two had made it out alive.

Ashley nodded agreement. "We can only hope." She said.

"But we can't get too hopeful." Sally said as she emerged. Her face fixated on the pillar of smoke and she sighed. "This already doesn't look good." She said.

"We know." Roman and Ashley said in unison.

"Let's just hope Caleb and his family survived." Sally said.

"My sentiments exactly." Roman said.

"Let's just get on over there, already." Seth said as he walked out, followed suit by Shatter and Tusk alongside Sonic. "We're not going to find survivors just by sitting here like a bunch of depressed Hutts."

Sally nodded agreement. "Seth is right. We can't do the village any favours if we just stand around hoping for the best. Let's just get on over there. And be ready for the worst."

Roman let out a heavy sigh as he joined the Freedom Fighters in starting their trek up the hill, readying himself for what he hoped wasn't the case.

* * *

 _ **On top of the hill overlooking Caleb's village, 18:35 pm**_

"Motherfuckers…" Roman remarked as he gazed upon the village. Or rather, what _had_ been a village.

Caleb's village was nothing more than a smoking ruin, the smoke rising from the still smouldering buildings that had once been made of strong wood from the nearby forest. But wood burnt, and the Empire had clearly put that well known information to good use, leaving the village burning. The message was all too clear: Rebel against the Galactic Empire, and this is what would happen. Regardless, what really disturbed the Freedom Fighters was the apparent lack of any visible corpses.

"Where on Mobius are the bodies?" Tails asked, voicing the thoughts of all those assembled.

"I think the more optimistic question would be: Where are all the people?" Sally said, folding her arms.

"Likely they've been rounded up and taken to a prison camp." Sonic said.

"Sonic, that's the last thing I want to hear right now." Roman said.

"Sorry." Sonic replied apologetically.

Sally sighed at this. Already, Roman was taking this hard. He'd been almost silent ever since they'd started the trip to Caleb's village, when usually, he'd be the one keeping everyone's spirits up with a light-hearted joke or two. But Caleb had become a good friend of Roman's in the short time they had known one another, as had Caleb's daughter and her son. And Sally knew just how loyal Roman was to his friends. If the worst had happened, she knew Roman would take the brunt of the horror. The last time he'd lost a good friend, it'd been his former Jedi Master, Cain Roth. And on that journey from Artika Prison to Mobotropolis to participate in the battle going on there, Roman had not spoken once. He'd simply stayed in his room until they had reached Mobotropolis. And Sally knew that if Caleb and family had not survived this assault, it would be the same story all over again.

While Sally was mulling this over, Roman was scanning the village, looking for any sign of life.

And for a fleeting half-second, he saw something:

A small looking being, gazing out towards the assembled Freedom Fighters. And in that split second, the same being bolted.

Roman's eyes widened as he started forward. "I just saw something move, c'mon!" He shouted as he broke into a flat out sprint towards the village.

"Roman, wait!" Ashley called out, before sighing and following her long-term lover into the smoking ruin that had once been Caleb's village.

* * *

 _ **Village Centre, minutes later…**_

It wasn't long before they found Roman kneeling in the middle of something.

And that something horrified them.

Roman was currently kneeling in a mass gathering of corpses, all gathered in a circle like cattle. All of them bore numerous blaster holes in them, suggesting they had all been shot.

"Like cattle in the slaughterhouse." Sally observed while fighting down an outburst of tears. She was currently looking down at the bodies of a small family of cheetahs: A mother, a father, and their infant child, all dead. The eyes of the parents were closed, but the baby's eyes remained open, staring back up at Sally as if it were demanding: _Where were you?_

It was all Sally could do not to burst into tears as she looked away, seeing the Freedom Fighters all surveying the area, their expressions all showing signs of horror. The only ones whose faces were unseen at this time were those of the clone troopers and Roman, who was still facing away from the entire group.

The silence was then finally broken when they heard the loudest cry of anguish they had ever heard, coming right from Roman:

" _ **NO!"**_

All of them turned to find Roman had picked up one of the bodies, and was cradling it in his arms.

Running over, Sally stopped in horror, and fell to her knees. "No…"

The body Roman was currently cradling in his arms was that of Caleb's daughter, now limp in his arms. Once full of life and happiness, she now joined the long list of friends Roman had lost in recent years, ranging from the Clone Wars to even now. Her eyes were mercifully closed, so at least the sight of her dead eyes would not haunt them for the rest of their lives, like so many did already.

Roman however, was a different story. Tears were dripping from his eyes as he quietly sobbed. Pulling the body closer, Roman held her close to him, muttering something over and over again. It took seconds for everyone to hear he was saying: "I'm sorry."

The entire group was gathered around that one body, all of them sorrowful at the sight.

Finally, Roman let the body go, and stood up. Looking up, his eyes met those of everyone around him. "Elias is going to pay for this." Roman snarled. "What he did to these people… I will visit back upon him tenfold." Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he sensed something through the Force. Something was behind him.

Turning, hand on his lightsaber, he quickly let go upon meeting the eyes of the one behind him:

The eyes of Caleb's daughter's young son.

* * *

"By the Force…" Roman muttered as he gently once again knelt down, saying: "Hey, Eren… It's me. Roman."

The boy, whose name was indeed Eren, nodded recognition before quickly throwing his arms around Roman, wetting Roman's shoulder with his tears. "They killed mommy." He sobbed. "The white men… They killed mommy and took Grandpa."

"I know, Eren. I know." Roman said comfortingly, running his hand through Eren's hair. Breaking the hug, Roman said: "Trust me when I say this, Eren. Those white men, the Imperials… They will get what's coming to them. For taking your grandfather and killing your mother. I promise."

Eren looked at Roman, nodded, and just hugged Roman again.

Getting up, Roman held Eren as he turned to Sally. "Whatever the case, we need to find where they've taken Caleb." He said. "I'm not going to allow Eren to become an orphan just yet."

Sally nodded understanding as she took hold of Eren and said: "We'll need to bury the bodies of everybody. They at least deserve that much."

"It'll take too long to bury them." Roman said. "Pile them all up and burn the bodies. That way, their ashes will remain among the land they fought so hard for."

Sally nodded and said: "Good idea, as usual."

"Thank you." Roman said. With that, they got to work.

* * *

 _ **Later that night…**_

It had never been easy for Roman to say goodbye. And it had never gotten easier.

All of the former inhabitants of the village now lay upon a makeshift pyre of sorts, and all of them were burning. Atop the pyre was Eren's mother and Caleb's daughter, still as beautiful as she had been in life. She had not been touched by the flames yet, but the flames were slowly and steadily creeping up and up until finally, she too was engulfed by flame.

Roman looked away from the fire, feeling tears start to fall. He thanked the Force that Eren wasn't here to see it. He was back in the Empire's Bane being looked after by Ahsoka and Ashley. He likely enjoyed the attention. A firm hand found his shoulder, as he heard Seth say:

"She's at peace now, Rome. At least she has that."

Roman melancholically nodded. "Yeah. At least she's at peace now."

"Yeah." Seth said. Looking at his friend, he added: "On a less depressing note, you did pretty much improve her and Eren's life by simply being there. Eren hasn't had any father figure other than Caleb, so you being there helped her a great deal. You encouraged her to let loose a little bit and enjoy life. So in the end, you did make her life, and everyone's life here a bit better."

Roman nodded sadly as he once again looked up, watching the flames of the pyre light up the night sky. Soon, Roman hoped, he would see the Imperial presence on Mobius burning, just as the dead he currently watched were burning.

* * *

 **This is probably one of the darkest chapters I've ever written. Reason some of my earlier stories weren't as dark was because I had no idea how to use dark imagery. I guess my usage of the macabre image of all those bodies is a pretty dark image.**

 **However, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please, leave a review in the appropriate section to tell me what you enjoyed and what you think I could have done better, and in the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then favourite and follow this fanfiction, so that you will be notified whenever I upload a brand new chapter. Which will be daily with this fanfiction, so keep a lookout.**

 **Regardless, thank you all again for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!), with the next chapter, where the Freedom Fighters discuss their next move.**

 **T-Rock14**


	4. Chapter 4: To Plan a Rescue

**Chapter 4: To Plan a Rescue**

 _ **Angel Island Village, 16**_ _ **th**_ _ **October 3241, 10:30 am…**_

The door to the war room opened as Roman and Ashley stepped through, finding the inner circle of the Freedom Fighters already there waiting for them: Sally, Sonic, Tails, Bunnie, Antoine, Rotor, Seth, and Ahsoka.

"Morning, Rome." Sally said, smiling gently.

"Morning." Roman replied icily as he stepped further into the room, placing his hands on the table around which they were all assembled. "So, anything on where Caleb might be?" He asked.

Sally nodded. "I have Nicole scouring the Imperial databanks for anything to do with him. So far, we've found nothing."

"Fuck." Roman growled. "That usually means they haven't listed him as an official Imperial prisoner yet. And are likely interrogating him for more information. Either on us or any other rebel cells."

"Somebody's optimistic." Ahsoka remarked sarcastically.

Ignoring the remark, Sally said: "Optimism aside, there's still the possibility that he could be scheduled to be executed."

"Doubtful." Roman said. "The Empire always announces when an execution is going to be held. It should be no different with Caleb."

"Maybe the Empire has a different approach to those it views as traitors." Tails suggested.

"Could be." Roman said. "But I'm not willing to accept that conclusion until I see proof. Until then, I'm considering Caleb to be alive, being torturted, and soon to be executed."

"Which means heading deep into hostile territory to get him back, I imagine?" Seth asked.

"It does." Roman replied. "Eren needs something to hold onto, something to remember his mother by. If we lose Caleb, we lose the last living family he has left. And while I'm not a father, I have lost family. In fact, I have no family besides you guys. So I know how Eren feels. We all do."

"And you don't want the same happening to Eren." Sally said, smiling.

"No child should grow up an orphan." Roman said. "No-one."

Sally nodded approvingly just as Nicole suddenly materialised, smiling.

"Good news, Roman. I've found something fresh in the Imperial database." She said.

"Well, spit it out!" Roman shouted.

"Okay, it's good news and bad news:" Nicole declared. "The good news is that Caleb's still alive. The bad news is, he's deep in Imperial territory and is being held in Mobotropolis Prison. And his execution is scheduled for this Wednesday coming."

* * *

Roman scowled as this came forth from Nicole's lips. It was Monday today, which meant they needed to devise a plan to rescue Caleb, and they needed to do so as quickly as possible. "Then I suggest we get planning, then." He said.

Sally's jaw dropped as she said: "Rome, are you crazy? There's no chance we'd be able to pull off something like that!"

"Um, yes there is." Roman said. "Me and Seth did something similar during the Clone Wars when Roth had been captured and sentenced to be executed. And we pulled it off just fine."

"Yeah, although it did leave me, Anakin, and Obi Wan with the task of getting you all out of there." Ahsoka said, folding her arms.

"Yet, we pulled it off." Roman said. "Who's to say we're not going to succeed again?"

"You're forgetting that when we rescued Roth, no-one was present that would conceivably pose a problem for us save for the Magnaguards." Seth said. "This time, we have trained Dark Side Acolytes possibly guarding the place. I'm talking Elias, Second Sister, and the Third Brother. All three of them. I'm not being pessimistic here, but I'm at least aware that our chances of success aren't the same as they were during the Clone Wars."

"Yet there's still a chance." Roman said. Eyeing everyone, he spread out his arms. "And ask yourselves, would it hurt to at least _try?_ I know our chances aren't very good, but we can at least try to rescue Caleb." He paused before he added: "We owe it to his daughter to at least try and rescue him so that Eren has some family left to be raised by."

Sally sighed. Roman raised a strong point. It never hurt to try, even though the odds seemed to be stacked against them. She reminded herself that she and the Freedom Fighters had faced worse odds than what she saw before them, and had come through. Looking to Roman, Sally asked: "What do you propose?"

Roman responded by looking to Seth and Ahsoka. "Send Shatter and Tusk into Mobotropolis under the guise of retired clones, and have them find out where the Empire are planning on executing Caleb. Then have them report back and await our arrival in New Mobotropolis."

"And then what?" Sally asked.

"We show the entire galaxy that even the Galactic Empire bleeds when struck." Roman replied.

"Fuck yeah." Seth said as he turned to Tails: "Get Shatter and Tusk here now. We've got a mission for them."

* * *

 _ **Later, 11:15 am**_

"So what you're proposing is that me and Tusk head into Mobotropolis and find out where the kid's grandad is going to be killed?" Shatter asked.

"Yes." Roman said. "Eren needs someone to raise him, and while Ahsoka has good maternal instincts, she's not going to cut it. Eren needs Caleb if he is going to be raised right."

"And once we find where they're planning on knocking him off? What then?" Tusk asked.

"You'll report back to HQ and await our arrival." Roman replied. "At that, on Wednesday, we'll proceed to give the Empire a butt-fucking the likes of which they haven't seen since the Artika Base attack."

Shatter broke up laughing as he nodded. "Sounds good to me, General." Shatter said.

"Same." Tusk said. "I've been itching for a good fight."

"Haven't we all been?" Roman said with a chuckle, clapping both Shatter and Tusk on the shoulders. "And I'm itching to ensure that Eren has a bright future ahead of him. With his grandfather raising him to be both a leader and a fighter."

"True, true." Seth said as he entered the room. "Just like I want my kid to be."

Roman smiled and said: "Yeah, but Eren's got a good three years on your kid. Yours hasn't even popped out to say hi yet."

Seth burst out laughing at the tasteful joke, saying: "Yeah, still got a month or two before that happens."

"I know." Roman said. "Just saying."

Seth stopped laughing before saying: "Anyway, how're they getting into the city?"

"Shade's gonna fly them in under cover of darkness." Roman replied. "It'll be up to them then to get into the city and find out where Caleb's going to be executed. And then it's a simple matter of getting the strike team in there and preparing to kick ass."

"Who will be on the strike team, General?" Shatter asked.

"Me, Tails, Seth, you and Tusk are all guaranteed." Roman replied. "Me and Sally still have yet to decide who else to bring."

"Very good, General." Shatter said. "We'll prepare ourselves for the mission immediately."

"Awesome." Roman said. "Dismissed."

Both clones saluted and left the room, leaving Seth and Roman alone.

"So what now?" Seth asked.

"Now?" Roman replied. "Now we get to training Tails. He'll need all that he can get before Wednesday."

Seth nodded and together, the two friends left the room, their minds on the imminent mission, and training Tails to be prepared for it.

* * *

 **Short chapter, I know. But it serves its purpose in that it furthers the plot.**

 **Anyways, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please leave a review in the appropriate section, and tell me what you enjoyed, and what I could improve. In the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then I invite you to favourite and follow this story, so you can be notified whenever I post a new chapter.**

 **With that said, thank you all again, and I will see you all tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which has the clones infiltrating Mobotropolis to find out the time and place of Caleb's scheduled execution.**

 **T-Rock14**


	5. Chapter 5: Imperial Mobotropolis

**Chapter 5: Imperial Mobotropolis**

 _ **Angel Island Village, That night, 23:50 pm…**_

It was nearly midnight when Roman sighted Shatter and Tusk approaching, both dressed in fairly plain and unflashy clothes, and both carrying large packs, which Roman knew held their armour and weaponry. With them were Seth and Tails, who both had tentative looks on their faces.

Once the group had all met, Roman folded his arms. "Everyone ready?" He asked.

Shatter and Tusk nodded. "Our gear is all checked, and we're ready to start."

"Good." Roman replied. "Shade's at the hangar with the Emerald waiting for us, so we'd best get a move on."

"Yeah." Seth replied. "And besides, I promised Ahsoka I'd be back with her by half past one."

"And you know how Sally is with me and my 'beauty sleep' as she calls it." Tails replied with a hint of disgust in his tone.

Roman nodded and the group started moving, with Shatter and Tusk joining Roman up front, while Seth and Tails trailed behind.

"How will we be getting into the city itself, General?" Shatter asked. "A drop in by ship would be too conspicuous, and the main gates will be heavily guarded."

"That's up to you two to do yourselves, boys." Roman replied. "Me, Seth, and Tails will only be with you up until we get to the hangars. Then we're heading home for the night. It'll be up to you two to get inside Mobotropolis."

"So pretty much like when we rescued Commander Kerran's mother." Shatter remarked, sharing a look with Tusk, both forgetting that the aforementioned Commander Kerran was behind them, _and_ could hear them.

"Y'know, I never got the full story about that." Roman replied. "All Seth's told me up to this point that it was a messy mission that ended with him losing his mother."

"And that's all you'll be getting for now." Seth called out, his voice steely calm, the way it was when he was angry on the point of fury.

Tails stepped away from Seth for a brief moment, saying: "Whoa, no need to get all hostile about it."

"You'd have done the same had it been your mother that day and you were me." Seth replied bitterly, quickening his pace and barging past Roman and the clones as he stormed on towards the hangars.

Tails caught up to Roman and the clones and whistled. "Shit. Seth's got some issues."

"Always has, always will." Roman replied. "A story like his will always give him problems, happy as he is now with fatherhood on the horizon."

Tails sighed and simply kept walking, the five continuing their trek.

* * *

 _ **The Emerald's Hangar, 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **October 3241, 00:05 am…**_

"All aboard." Shade replied jokingly as she saw Roman, Seth, Tails and the clones approaching.

"Not all of us, Shade." Roman replied with a smirk as he came to a stop. "Me, Seth and Tails are just here to see Shatter and Tusk off before we all turn in for the night."

"Good to hear." Shade replied. Turning to Shatter and Tusk, she asked: "You boys ready?"

Shatter and Tusk nodded. "We just need to say our goodbyes, Shade." Tusk replied.

Shade nodded and headed into the ship, while Shatter and Tusk turned to Roman and Seth.

"I guess this'll be the last you see of us for a day and a half, sir." Shatter replied.

"I guess it is." Roman replied. "Just remember, once you're in the city, do _not_ contact us until you've found where it is that the Imps are going to clip Caleb. Until then, no communication. After you've contacted us, then hold down the fort until me and the strike team get there. Then on Wednesday, we'll give the Imperials a reason to be a little more worried about us."

Shatter and Tusk nodded before they looked to Seth, saluting him respectfully before they turned and headed on up the Emerald's ramp. Within a few more minutes, The Emerald lifted off and flew off into the night, leaving the three Jedi alone in the empty hangar.

Tails turned to Roman with a questioning look. "Do you think that they'll be able to find where Caleb's going to get executed in time?"

Roman sighed. "I'm not thinking that they can. I'm _praying_ that they can. For mine and Eren's sake."

Seth looked to Roman. "What if they can't?" He asked.

"I'd rather not consider that right now, Seth." Roman replied. "In these situations, all I can hope to do is think positive."

Seth snorted. "The last time I thought positive about a mission, my mother died." Seth replied. "So as little as I want to undermine your confidence heading into this, I just want to warn you: It may not end the way you want it to." With that ominous advice, Seth left the hangar, leaving Roman and Tails alone there.

"You think he's saying that because he's angry that the clones brought up his mother?" Tails asked.

"It's possible." Roman replied. "But I think he's just trying to be a good friend and giving me some advice. Even if I've had that advice several times, it's still good to be reminded that things don't always end the way you intend them to." With that, Roman rolled his shoulders. "Anyways, we should be getting back to our houses. I've got a girlfriend who might need some warming up, and you'll need as much sleep as you can get."

"What do you mean by 'warming up' Ashley, Rome?" Tails asked, knowing that the phrase had connotations of a sexual nature.

Roman looked at Tails, caught his meaning and then laughed. "If that's what you're thinking, then no. I'm not up for sex tonight." He said. "Maybe after we save Caleb, _then_ I'll fuck Ashley's brains out in celebration. Until then, you will be able to get some sleep."

Tails chuckled and followed Roman onwards, until both reached their homes. At that point, all there was to be said was goodnight.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile, with the clones on the Emerald, 1:10 am…**_

"Okay, gents, this is as far as I'm going. With luck, I'll see you on Wednesday for a quick getaway." Shade said as she turned to Shatter and Tusk.

The two clones nodded grimly and rose from their seats, quickly finding themselves walking down the ramp of the Emerald.

Within minutes of this happening, the Emerald once again lifted off into the sky, slowly shrinking until it was no longer visible.

Shatter watched this grimly before turning to Tusk and said: "Better move. We have less than twenty-four hours before Caleb bites it."

"Tell me something I don't know, Shatter." Tusk replied as he turned and walked off in the direction of Mobotropolis.

Shatter quickly followed, catching up to his former second in command in a matter of seconds. "Well, is there anything you don't know?" He asked jokingly.

"When and where this Caracal we're meant to be rescuing is going to get executed." Tusk replied bluntly.

Shatter scowled. "I wasn't thinking of that." He replied.

"And there lies our difference." Tusk said, turning to Shatter with a frown. "You laugh and joke around all you like. I keep focused on the mission no matter what. And our mission right now is to find out where this old cunt is going to die and when it's going to happen." With that, Tusk turned and walked away, followed suit by Shatter, who followed with a scowl now etched on his face.

* * *

 _ **Later, outskirts of New Mobotropolis, 1:50 am…**_

The two clones stacked up behind a nearby boulder as they neared an entrance to Mobotropolis.

Peeking around cautiously, Shatter counted an entire platoon of Stormtroopers guarding the entrance. There were a pair of speeder bikes nearby as well, a sign that the Stormtroopers could send for help if ever they were attacked. Ducking back behind the boulder, Shatter said: "One platoon with two speeder bikes."

"Well, that rules out a head-on assault." Tusk remarked.

"So what we need is a distraction." Shatter replied, eyeing a small stone at his feet. Picking it up, Shatter threw it with all his strength, sending the small object barrelling into the undergrowth, making a very loud rustling noise.

It had the desired effect, as quickly, the two clones heard one of the Stormtroopers shout:

"Hey, who's there? Show yourself!"

 _Not happening,_ Shatter thought, remaining where he was, as did Tusk. Within a few more moments, they heard the same Stormtrooper say:

"Fine. Platoon, let's make a round. If there's anything out there, I'd rather not let it stay that way."

With that, they heard the sound of hard footsteps as the platoon began its patrol.

It was Tusk's turn to look. Peeking out ever so cautiously, Tusk saw that the patrol was making a circle of the area, anticlockwise. And they were nearing the boulder.

"Let them pass." Shatter whispered as the sound of the Stormtroopers' footsteps grew louder and closer.

"They're coming around the boulder." Tusk whispered. "If we don't move now, we're blown!"

Shatter sighed and nodded. "Then let's move." He said. With that, the two clones shifted to the front of the boulder, now in direct view of the entrance, and bolted for it, sprinting as fast as their legs could carry them, until finally, they were within the city limits. Waiting until the Stormtroopers had finished their patrol, Shatter and Tusk moved on further into the city, with Shatter saying:

"And now, we find somewhere to stay for the night." Shatter replied.

* * *

 _ **Later that day, some seedy hotel in Mobotropolis, 3:00 am…**_

"What do you want?" A large heavyset pig growled at the two clones as they stepped in.

"Just a room for the night, sir." Shatter replied.

The pig's beady eyes studied them before he asked: "Brothers, I presume?"

Tusk nodded. "Just come from Coruscant." He replied.

The pig snorted uninterestedly as he checked for vacancies, finally saying: "That'll be twenty-five credits, forty if you're looking for breakfast as well."

Shatter and Tusk nodded, and Shatter took the sum from his pouch, giving it to the Pig, who nodded approvingly and handed them the key. "Breakfast's from eight a.m. to twelve p.m, so you can get some sleep." He said.

Shatter and Tusk nodded thanks and headed upstairs, thankful that they would finally get some sleep. They were both exhausted, and they had a lot on their minds.

* * *

 _ **Later that day, Mobotropolis City Centre, 12:30 pm…**_

"You know, I think this is the first time we've been in the city and it's _not_ been in a shit state." Tusk remarked as they stepped into the city centre.

Shatter wasn't about to disagree. If the last time they had set foot in Mobotropolis was any indication, Mobotropolis actually looked a lot better than it had looked the last time the clones had been in Mobotropolis.

The only difference was, every building was square, rectangular, or in any shape resembling four sides. That, and there were now numerous statues of either Emperor Palpatine or Dr Eggman scattered amongst the city. The buildings were all completely plastered with propaganda and graffiti, glorifying the Empire and Emperor Palpatine, depicting idealistic images of prosperity and happiness, patriotism and military might. Some of it was covered with different graffiti, which was that of anti-Imperial slogans, which were in the process of being cleaned off.

Shatter took this as a favourable sign, one that Mobotropolis itself housed anti-Imperial elements, something he said to Tusk.

"Keep your voice down." Tusk warned. "We've not come this far only to be discovered speaking of that sort of thing. Let's find out what we're here to find out, and relay it to-"

Shatter silenced his comrade with a finger to the lips, pointing up at one of the holo-screens.

Tusk looked up, and blinked to ensure he wasn't dreaming.

On that particular holo-screen was a list of people that were to be executed the following day, _in_ the main city square. And at the top of the list, clear as day, was the name of the Caracal they were here to rescue: Caleb.

* * *

 _ **Later, an isolated part of Mobotropolis…**_

"I figured as much." Roman remarked as Shatter told him of what they had seen via holo. "The Empire would want to kill Caleb and those others in front of as many people as they can in order to hammer the message home about what happens when you fuck with the Empire." Roman paused for a second before adding: "Regardless, getting in won't be easy. I recommend you clear us a way into Mobotropolis before we get there. It'll be the only way that we get in unseen."

Tusk nodded. "With respect sir, have you chosen who else will be on the rescue team?" He asked.

Roman nodded. "Me, Seth and Tails were guaranteed to being with, but we've added Sally and Sonic to the strike team, along with Ashley and Knuckles. Me and Sally agreed that seeing her will encourage the populace of Mobotropolis to revolt against the Empire, which in turn, will cover our escape."

"Good thinking." Shatter said. "And we'll focus on getting you that way into Mobotropolis. You can bet on it."

"Good to know." Roman replied. "I also suggest you procure three sets of Stormtrooper armour for yourselves and Seth."

"How come?" Shatter asked.

"Because then we can place ourselves among the troops standing guard as the executions are staged." Seth replied as he stepped into view. "I know it sounds hare brained, but relax. I've been working on my Force Cloak for quite some time now. So have Roman and Tails. With that said, I've got a pretty good feeling we'll all be good to go tomorrow. With luck, The Inquisitors won't know we're there until it's too late."

"Very good, generals." Tusk said. "An attack from both sides. Could maybe kill Eggman while we're at it as well."

Roman and Seth looked to each other and nodded agreement. "That is not a bad idea." Roman remarked. "It'd have to be one of you or Seth that does it, though. Depending on whether he's protected or not. If he's not, then it'll be me, Sally, Sonic or Tails that does the deed. That is if we're not too busy fighting the Inquisitors."

Shatter and Tusk nodded. "Very well." Shatter said. "We'll leave you to prepare to get here. We've got a path to clear."

"So you do." Roman replied. "See you both in Mobotropolis." At that, Roman and Seth's images dissipated.

Shatter put the holoprojector away before eyeing Tusk. And once that was done, they started preparing. There was work to be done.

* * *

 _ **That night, 21:30 pm…**_

"I seriously need to get myself a set of this." Shatter remarked as he pulled on the Stormtrooper armour he and Tusk had procured, stripping it off of the two dead bodies lying before them.

"You can say that again." Tusk replied as he picked up his trooper's helmet, slipping on with ease. The Stormtrooper armour was firm and well made, keeping the user safe all while being comfortable at the same time. They were close to the same entrance they had used to get in that morning, having advised Roman and the other members of the strike team to use that one. It was lightly defended, and fairly inconspicuous. No-one would expect entry into Mobotropolis from there. Although Shatter and Tusk were both fairly sure the Stormtroopers were extra-cautious after the last time.

Straightening his armour out, Shatter picked up the E-11 Blaster Rifle held by his Stormtrooper, with Tusk doing the same with his. "You know, I've often wanted to try these." Shatter said.

"Well we have a chance now." Tusk replied. And with that, they set off towards the entrance.

It was Shatter that made the troopers aware of their presence, shouting: "Hoi!"

The leader of the Stormtroopers, a prim-looking Imperial Officer this time, turned with a harsh: "What do you want, trooper?"

"There's a drunken disturbance in the cantina nearby." Tusk replied, making sure to mask his true voice. "It's pretty bad, so I'd advise taking the entire platoon." It was true. Tusk and Shatter had passed it on the way, and it already was looking ugly. Almost like the entire cantina was drunk and in the mood for a fight.

The Imperial Officer's eyes studied both the clones cretinously, so much so that both started getting ready for a fight. But then he said: "Very well." Turning to one of the Stormtroopers, he said: "Take most of this platoon and come with me. After that, we'll deal with the disturbance. The rest of you, remain here." With that, the Officer departed, followed suit by at least twenty-eight of the thirty-two strong platoon. The other four turned and started to once again guard the entrance.

Shatter and Tusk waited for the officer and the other platoon members to get out of earshot, before they both drew the knives that until now had been hidden on their belts, cutting the throats of all four of the Stormtroopers. One of these, they helped to the floor, to avoid too much blood being spilled on the armour.

Once this was done, they looked up and gestured.

Almost immediately, seven hooded figures sprinted from the bushes and through the entranceway. Once through, they all removed their hoods, revealing the faces of Roman the Fox, Seth Kerran, Miles 'Tails' Prower, Princess Sally Acorn, Sonic the Hedgehog, Ashley the Cat, and Knuckles the Echidna.

"No place like home." Roman replied. Seeing the Stormtrooper Shatter had helped to the floor after killing them, he nodded to Seth, who stripped the armour off and placing it into his pack, also picking up the blaster rifle.

Once all this was done, Roman said: "And now to a safehouse."

* * *

 _ **A random house in Mobotropolis, 22:50 pm…**_

"You never told us that you had one of these." Sally remarked as they set down all their equipment.

"Never needed to until now." Roman replied. "Silver and Blaze bought up several houses around Mobius to use as safehouses while I was recovering from nearly getting killed by Elias. We've never had to use the Mobotropolis safehouse until now." Looking around, Roman said: "Make yourselves comfortable, guys. We've got a big mission tomorrow." Turning once more to Shatter and Tusk, he walked over and grabbed them both by the shoulder. "Great job, you two. Thanks to the rapid discovery, we're now good to go."

Shatter and Tusk nodded before the former asked: "Where will you, the Princess, Sonic and Tails be, General?"

"Me, Knuckles, Sonic and Sally will be among the crowd, hopefully near the front, while Tails will be sniping from a vantage point. Preferably from the building across the square from the Cathedral. Ashley will be with Tails spotting for him." Roman replied. "For some reason, the Empire likes to execute its prisoners in front of places of worship. It's like they're taking a shit on the traditions of the people they're performing the executions on."

Shatter laughed. "Sounds like it, General." He said.

Roman nodded before saying: "Now, you two go get some rest. We've all got a long day ahead of us."

Shatter and Tusk nodded before they turned away from Roman and left to get some rest.

Roman watched them leave before he heard Ashley behind him:

"Roman?"

Roman turned to face his girlfriend, a smile on his face. "Yeah?"

Ashley sighed and asked: "What chance do you think we have of actually pulling this off?"

"Since we have the element of surprise, I'd say a pretty good chance." Roman replied with a confident smirk. "I can see the smile fading from Elias' face already."

Ashley scoffed and nodded before saying: "It's good to see you're feeling confident. Especially considering this could turn out a suicide mission."

"Better to try than let Caleb die." Roman said. Wrapping his arm around Ashley's waist, he added: "And if this does end up being a suicide mission, then I can't think of a better person to make my last stand next to." He punctuated this with a gentle but firm kiss.

Ashley reciprocated the gesture with all she could muster, praying the following day would not be her and Roman's last.

* * *

 **Just a sprinkle of character development for the clones, a pinch of dark backstory for Seth, and a teaspoon of romance at the end. All to prepare for the madness of the next two chapters. But hey, it's worked in the past, so why not now?**

 **With that having been said, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then I invite you to leave a review in the appropriate section to say what you enjoyed, and what you think I could do to improve. In the event that you _really_ enjoyed it, then I invite you to favourite and follow this fanfiction, so you will be notified as to when I upload another chapter.**

 **Again, thank you all for reading, and I will see you all tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which has the mission to rescue Caleb begin.**

 **T-Rock14**


	6. Chapter 6: Gate-Crashing an Execution

**Chapter 6: Gate-Crashing an Execution**

 _ **Mobotropolis Main Square, 18**_ _ **th**_ _ **October 3241, 11:45 am…**_

"Everyone in position?" Roman asked as he manoeuvred himself through the crowd towards the front of it. He was vaguely aware of Sonic, Sally and Knuckles' presence via the Force, as well as the presence of Tails and Ashley, both of whom had taken their positions at the top of the building opposite the cathedral.

Somewhere nearby, Roman knew that Seth and the clones were readying themselves, likely having already snuck into the area where the troops likely got dressed. He couldn't sense Seth's presence though, which was a good thing: Seth _had_ been working on his Force Cloak. As a result, if they were lucky, this would enable him to be near the execution block without Elias or the other Inquisitors noticing. Roman had done the same, especially since he was going to be in very close proximity to Elias and the other Inquisitors, all of whom were likely to be present.

Looking to his right, Roman caught a glimpse of Sonic as they made their approach.

The blue blur was dressed similarly to Roman, in clothes that covered his combat gear and his face, avoiding recognition by the populace. At least until the time came to begin the mission in earnest.

Roman knew that Sally was slightly further away than Sonic, and he also knew that she had dressed to be incognito, although she was wearing her all too familiar attire underneath so that the populace recognised her instantly.

It was then he finally had a reply to his earlier question:

"I'm in position, Rome." Tails replied. "Me and Ash are atop the building, ready to go."

"Just took out part of the original security detail, now taking up position." Seth replied.

Roman nodded before contacting Sally: "Crowd team, any of you in position, yet?"

"Yeah." Came the voice of Sally. "Took a shortcut around the block and am now in position."

"Sweet." Roman replied. "Knuckles?"

"Nearly there." Knuckles replied. "Just a few more people to shove past."

"Try not to, buddy." Roman replied. "You'll only draw more attention to us."

"Not easy when you're six-foot five." Knuckles replied.

Roman chuckled. "Then make yourself look like a midget." He replied.

"Fuck you." Knuckles replied.

Roman had to fight down an outburst of laughter as he made his approach into position. This would be a long day.

* * *

 _ **With Seth, Shatter, and Tusk…**_

"Here they come." Shatter remarked as he got to his feet, standing to attention as the rest of the Stormtroopers came in.

"There you are!" Said the CO. "We were just searching for you."

"Forgive me, Sergeant." Seth replied, noting the Stormtrooper CO's rank epaulette. "TK-786 had misplaced his helmet."

The CO nodded and said: "The prisoners are outside." With this, the squad walked outside to find the prisoners waiting for them.

Seth was quick to recognise Caleb among those that were sentenced to death, and seeing that everyone was occupied, walked over to Caleb, leaning in and saying: "Afternoon, Caleb."

The elderly Caracal looked at Seth with surprise, recognising the voice. "Kerran?" He asked.

Seth nodded. "One and only. We're here to rescue you."

Caleb nodded before asking: "Are you all there is?"

Seth shook his head. "The clones are here too. Roman, Sally, Sonic, Knuckles, Ashley and Tails are in the square."

Caleb nodded before saying: "You'd best step away now. They might suspect something, otherwise."

Seth nodded before stepping away, just as the Stormtrooper sergeant shouted:

"Form up! We are mobile in two minutes!"

Seth nodded before assuming his position, making sure it was near Caleb, gesturing Shatter and Tusk to form up nearby. "You guys good?"

Both clones nodded.

"Awesome." Seth replied. "Just follow my lead."

"We've been following your bloody lead since this mission started, you dumb wanker." Tusk replied.

Seth just chuckled as they started marching into the troop transport. Once all were within, it began to move, one of a large convocation headed towards the main square.

It didn't take long for Seth to sense three very familiar presences nearby, one further away than the other two. He deduced that the closer two were the Third Brother and Second Sister, and the farther away presence was Elias. The question on Seth's mind right now was what it was that was keeping Elias from attending: Was it a meeting with this 'Lord Vader' character Seth had heard so much of from his friends and contacts? Or was it something that required Elias' immediate attention?

Seth decided to push the question aside and worry about it later. Elias was out of the equation for now. Whether or not he re-entered the equation later was yet to be determined.

* * *

 _ **With Elias, Castle Eggman's landing pad…**_

Elias frowned as the Imperial Shuttle's ramp lowered, allowing its sole passenger to disembark:

The passenger in question was a fairly tall and bony man, elderly in age but still strong of body. Greyish green eyes stared forth from his face, sharp and keen enough to pierce right through anyone or anything. Greying, thinning dark hair framed his head, neatly combed back to ensure the full degree of his face was revealed. Cleanly shaven, his cheeks were sunken, revealing strong cheekbones that gave a clear sense of who it was Elias was looking at.

For clothing, the passenger was wearing a green Imperial uniform with a very clear rank plaque that suggested he was that of a very high rank in the Imperial hierarchy.

Elias let out a deep intake of breath as he said: "Governor Tarkin. I'd have thought you were busy with your region of worlds."

"The Emperor diverted me here to help you get this planet under control, Grand Inquisitor." Wilhuff Tarkin said harshly. "Something the Emperor does not think your friend Doctor Eggman has been able to achieve."

"No offence to his Imperial Majesty, but he is mistaken to a degree." Elias replied. "For the most part, Doctor Eggman has subjugated most of the planet. It is only small groups of rebels that are causing trouble."

"Such as this group of so called 'Freedom Fighters' that The Emperor informed me of?" Tarkin replied.

"They're the most proactive of the aforementioned rebel groups." Elias replied. "They have destroyed several key Imperial bases, but ones that we had no problem getting rebuilt."

Tarkin didn't seem to care, looking around, his eyes scanning the area for anything wrong. "Where is the good doctor at the moment?"

"In a convocation heading to the main square." Elias replied. "We were to execute some of the rebels today."

Tarkin nodded in a rare show of approval from the governor. "In front of the populace, I'd assume."

"Yes. The populace do seem to enjoy public exectutions." Elias replied. "Not that that surprises me. It was a staple for years on this part of the planet."

"Indeed." Tarkin said. "It has come to my attention that you were also a member of the now deposed Royal Family here in this region, before the Doctor took power for the first time. What drove you to renounce your lineage?"

"The people." Elias replied in disgust, the memories flooding back. "They favoured Sonic the Hedgehog over me, when I was their prince, their leader!" Elias sighed. "When they should have favoured me over them. _That's_ why I left Mobius and renounced my heritage, governor. If they liked Sonic and his ilk so much, they could do without me."

Tarkin nodded. "And now this is your vengeance on them." He replied.

"In a manner of speaking." Elias replied. Gesturing, Elias said: "Come on. We still have time to watch the executions on the Holonet."

Tarkin nodded again. "It will be good to see those that would defy the Empire made examples of." With this, the two Imperials quickly headed inside the castle. They had some executions to witness.

* * *

 _ **With Roman, City Square, 11:55 am…**_

Roman cringed as a rousing cheer arose from the crowd as a convoy appeared, coming to a stop near the steps.

The first to exit was unsurprisingly Eggman, whose sole presence soured the crowd's mood, and they reacted accordingly with a chorus of boos.

Roman smiled at this. That was a good sign.

Next to emerge were two Inquisitors, which Roman knew as the Third Brother and Second Sister, the former of whom carried himself as if _he_ was the ruler of Mobius and not Eggman, which failed to surprise Roman, given that the Third Brother had a very high opinion of himself.

The Second Sister on the other hand, was searching the area intently, looking out for any threats.

Then the Stormtroopers emerged, many of them dragging chained prisoners with them.

Roman instantly contacted Tails: "See if you can get a bead on Caleb. I need to make sure if he's among them."

"On it." Tails replied.

After a few tense seconds, Tails came back with a reply of:

"Got him. Looks like he's gonna be the first to get offed."

Roman's eyes fell on Caleb, and instantly scowled.

Caleb looked as if he'd been heavily beaten, beaten within an inch of his life. His face was blotted with bruise upon bruise, and part of his head was encrusted with dried blood. His left eye was swollen shut, and his lip was split. Several lacerations that looked as if they had been caused by blunt-force trauma crossed his face, and he had several teeth missing.

Roman scowled as Dr Eggman began his speech. If all went to plan, which he doubted it would, Caleb would be safe, and they'd be on their way home before the day was out. His hand fingered the lightsabers on his hips: Seth's Lightsabers. He knew deep down that when they started putting their plans into action, Seth would no doubt be needing them.

* * *

 _ **With Seth, Shatter and Tusk…**_

 _He's even uglier at this angle,_ Seth thought as he listened to Eggman making his speech. All while having to stare at Eggman from the rear.

Occasionally throughout his speech, Eggman would pause and scratch his backside before continuing, something that was proving hard for Seth not to laugh at. The same could be said for the crowd, who were also starting to get a bad case of the giggles at the sight of their ruler inadvertently making an ass of himself every few seconds as he continued to make his speech:

"It is only right that these terrorists, thieves, murderers, rapists, and such should die. For they do not fit in with the clear image with which a citizen of the Empire should present themselves. The Empire does not allow for such crimes to occur, and will not allow for them to occur anywhere, at anytime on this planet, or the entire galaxy!"

 _Didn't stop that fuck you call a governor on Mandalore taking and raping my mother,_ Seth thought bitterly. _And the only justice he got was from my lightsabers._

Seth could see Roman clear as day from where he was standing, hooded and cloaked by the Force. He'd entrusted Roman with his lightsabers, since he was well aware that a Stormtrooper with two lightsabers on their belt would not be the most inconspicuous way of sneaking in.

Roman seemed to notice that Seth was staring at him, and gave a curt nod in Seth's direction.

Seth returned the nod, before his eyes fell on the Second Sister. Once more he felt that same hatred boil through him at the sight of her. She had clearly never stopped hunting him. Even on Mandalore, she had been there to try and kill Seth. Only for Seth's mother to take the lightsaber to the heart that had been meant for Seth. Ever since, Seth had been vigilant, waiting for the Second Sister to emerge once again. The only reason he had not killed the Second Sister in their duel several months ago during the assault on Artika Base was because he had been on a tight schedule. But now he wasn't. And his first target on the beginning of the operation was her. And he wouldn't hold back this time.

He was drawn back to attention by Eggman reaching the conclusion of his speech:

"And now, courtesy of our great Imperial Majesty Emperor Palpatine, _**Let the executions begin!"**_

The crowd roared in approval and bloodlust as Caleb was led towards the chopping block.

* * *

 _ **With Roman…**_

 _Fuck!_ Roman thought as he contacted Tails: "Do you have a bead on Eggman?"

"Yeah, why?" the twin-tailed vulpine asked.

"I have an idea on what Caleb might say for his last words." Roman said with a smirk.

As this was happening, Caleb was being forced to his knees before the chopping block. Looking up, he saw Eggman, who smirked and asked:

"Any last words, traitor?"

Caleb nodded. "He who passes the sentence should swing the blade. Unless you're too fat to try."

Roman almost burst out laughing at the remark, while Eggman looked about to burst.

Turning to the Third Brother, Eggman held out his hand. "Give me your lightsaber!" He snarled.

Reluctantly, the Third Brother obliged, handing Eggman his lightsaber.

Igniting it, Eggman knelt down next to Caleb, growling: "Those words will be your epitaph, old man!" With this, he spat on Caleb, before getting to his feet.

As this happened, Caleb's head was forced over the block.

Turning to the crowd, Eggman bellowed: _"This is what happens when you defy the Empire!"_ At this, he raised the lightsaber

"Do you have a shot?" Roman asked as he watched this happen.

"Yeah." Tails replied over the comm.

"Fire." Roman said.

With this, Tails made sure he had a good shot, curling his finger around the trigger, and smiling, he said: "Sayonara, Eggman." With this, he pulled the trigger.

The almost deafening report of the sniper as it fired could be heard across the main square, as the deadly salvo flew towards its intended target.

Eggman barely had time to look up towards the fatal bolt of energy before it flew into his head, smashing him completely between his eyes. His pince-nez glasses instantly broke in two, falling in almost symmetrical halves to the floor. Within the first few seconds of the hit, the bolt burst Eggman's pituitary gland, destroyed Eggman's Midbrain, severed Eggman's spinal cord, and passed cleanly through Eggman's cerebellum, which then burst apart, just as most of the back of Eggman's head did, showering those behind him with brains, blood and pieces of skull. The force of the hit also threw Eggman back against the wall, which he then sunk down, dead.

* * *

 _ **With Roman…**_

" _ **NOW!"**_ Roman shouted as he leapt from the crowd, throwing off his hood and cloak as he did. Grabbing Seth's lightsabers, he tossed them to Seth, who took off his helmet and ignited his lightsabers.

This caused a collective gasp to arise from the crowd, which was amplified as Roman ignited his.

As this was happening, the Stormtroopers soon were gunned down by Shatter and Tusk, who removed their helmets as well.

As this was happening, Sally, Sonic and Knuckles all emerged, throwing off their cloaks as well.

The sight of Sally after so long drew an even larger reaction than when Roman and Seth had revealed themselves. Some even cheered.

Turning to Sally, Roman gave a nod, which she took as a signal.

Turning to the crowd, Sally began: "Citizens of Mobotropolis! The Empire knows me as a terrorist trying to wrest control of the planet from the Empire and plunge it back into what it sees as chaos. But I know for a fact that you all know me as Princess Sally Acorn, daughter of the deposed and murdered King Maximillian Acorn, who ruled this land before the Empire subjugated it. Two years have passed since then, and that is _too_ long for any planet to be subjugated, by the Empire, or any other dominion!"

A rousing cheer arose from the crowd as they heard Sally's voice once more, something they had been deprived of for the better part of two years.

"Think back to when the Mandalorians tried to bring us under control." Sally said. "Think back to when this entire planet was in danger of being brought under the yoke of another oppressive regime, so many years ago. We didn't sit back then and allow them to; _No!_ Wefought those bastards, and we gave them _everything we had!"_

The crowd once again cheered, their hands raised aloft in jubilation.

"The Empire would have you believe that they are invincible. Just like Eggman believed himself invincible." Sally continued. "Yet now Eggman lies dead, the victim of an assassin you all know as Miles Tails Prower."

At this, Tails revealed himself, pumping his fists in the air as a rousing ovation erupted from the crowd.

Sally smiled and said: "The ones you once called the Freedom Fighters still live, fighting to free this planet once again from the yoke of a tyrant. But today, we need your help! So I ask you to take up arms, and _fight!_ Fight for your families, fight for the loved ones you no doubt lost during the Battle of Mobotropolis, and most importantly, _fight for_ _ **your FREEDOM!"**_

A rousing ovation came up from the crowd, as they milled out of the square, clearly towards their homes to grab anything they could to fight.

Sally turned to Roman, who had since freed Caleb while Seth and the clones had kept the Inquisitors occupied.

"Use the revolt as cover to get Caleb out of town." Roman said. "Take the clones, Knuckles, Tails and Ashley with you. With luck, me and Seth will follow."

Sally nodded and contacted Ashley and Tails: "Ash, Tails, get down here now! Roman and Seth are gonna get us a window, so let's make it count!" With this, the rest of the Freedom Fighters left, leaving Roman, Seth, and the two Inquisitors alone in the city square.

* * *

 **Well, snap. Who would have imagined that Tarkin would make his presence known? He won't be too prevalent a character, but the reason I have included him will be revealed in later chapters.**

 **Regardless, thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please leave a review in the appropriate section, telling me what it was that you enjoyed and what you think I can do better. In the event that you _really_ enjoyed it, then I invite you to favourite and follow this fanfiction, so that you will be notified as to whenever I post another chapter.**

 **Again, thank you so much for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which has Caleb's mission go into full swing.**

 **T-Rock14**


	7. Chapter 7: Escape from The City

**Chapter 7: Escape from The City**

"You shouldn't have come here." The Second Sister snarled as she and the Third Brother circled Roman and Seth.

"Really?" Roman asked as he looked around and shrugged. "I don't see any big signs saying: "Roman the Fox and Seth Kerran are not allowed within the confines of the city."

"Do you really think now is the time to be making jokes?" The Third Brother replied. "We have you completely surrounded."

"I don't see how your definition of completely surrounded is correct, given that there are two of you." Roman replied. "Since my idea of being completely surrounded is for there to be three times as many hostiles surrounding us as there are now."

The Third Brother scoffed. "It seems what the Grand Inquisitor said about your sense of humour is correct. You'd make a fine court jester on Shili."

"I'd sooner fuck Seth and Tails in a homo threesome." Roman replied. "From what I heard about you and Shili from Tails, Shili isn't exactly five-star accommodation. In fact it sounds more like two star accommodation."

The Third Brother's nostrils flared as he snarled: "How dare you discredit my home planet!" before charging Roman.

Only for Roman and Seth to switch sides, so that Seth was facing the Third Brother, and Roman was facing the Second Sister.

"If I hadn't got a girlfriend and you weren't a psychotic, tattooed bitch, I'd _so_ fuck your brains out." Roman remarked as he properly looked over the Second Sister's voluptuous form, which reminded Roman of Asajj Ventress, Dooku's pet assassin during the Clone Wars.

"How flattering." The Second Sister said. "However, flattery will not save you today!" With this, she lunged.

Only for Seth and Roman to again switch sides, so that Roman was once again facing the Third Brother, and Seth was facing the Second Sister.

"I assume you won't want me to mention that comment to Ashley later." Seth said to Roman.

"Don't you fucking think about it." Roman said. "Do you want more kids after this one coming? Because if I hear you played tattle tale with Ash, I will rip your balls off and make you fucking eat them."

"It won't matter." The Third Brother snarled. "Neither of you will live long enough to tell her anyway!" At this, the two Inquisitors attacked.

And Roman and Seth fought back, once again crossing blades with their enemies.

* * *

 _ **With Sally and the other Freedom Fighters…**_

"Can you walk?" Sally asked Caleb as Shatter and Tusk set him down.

"I was walking since before you were born, Princess." Caleb replied as he got up. "Now someone find me a gun. I have the urge to shoot some Stormtroopers."

As if on cue, a squad of Stormtroopers appeared from around the corner, the leader of whom pointed:

"There they are! Put your hands where we can-"

The CO never finished, as a hail of blaster fire obliterated him and his squad.

Walking over to the bodies, Sally stripped it of its ammunition, and handed it and a blaster rifle to Caleb. "There." She said. "Should serve your purpose."

Caleb nodded. "Always wanted t' use one of these." He remarked.

"Well now you can." Sally replied, smiling as she stripped the rest of the Stormtroopers of their guns and ammunition, handing one to each of the Freedom Fighters. "Better stock up guys." She said. "It's going to get pretty hairy around here soon."

"Better get moving too, if we want to reach the extraction point." Tails replied as he loaded his rifle.

"Why aren't you using your lightsaber?" Caleb asked.

"Rather not reveal myself as a Jedi unless it's necessary." Tails replied. "Better for people to think I'm just me, than another Jedi."

"A good idea in my opinion." Ashley remarked. "Roman's already risking his life, along with Seth. I'd rather Tails wasn't risking his as well by brandishing his lightsaber."

"I agree." Caleb replied.

"We should get moving." Knuckles said. "I've got a feeling any nearby Stormtroopers will have heard that."

"I agree." Sonic added. "At this rate, we'll be caught in the thick of the revolt."

"So we will." Sally said. Grabbing Nicole, she opened Nicole and said: "Nicole, calculate the safest and most quiet route to the extraction point."

"Yes, Sally." Nicole said as her image disappeared.

A patient silence fell upon the Freedom Fighters as they waited for Nicole to complete her calculations.

Which once she had appeared again, she had. "Got one." Nicole said, her image dissipating to reveal the route she had calculated for them.

Sally smiled. "Thanks, Nicole." Turning to the Freedom Fighters, Sally said: "Let's move."

* * *

 _ **Castle Eggman, at the same time…**_

"Prepare a group of troop transports." Elias ordered as Imperial Officers scrambled to do something to prepare for the oncoming people. "Get all walkers mobile and ready for combat, and by the fucking Emperor, can someone man the defences!"

"Were you anticipating this sort of attack, Grand Inquisitor?" Tarkin demanded as he followed. His face was a mask of anger, his eyes almost black.

"The Freedom Fighters have _never_ been bold enough to attack the capital!" Elias protested. "If this is any indication, the prisoner they freed was likely of massive value to them for them to mount this sort of mission."

"Very well." Tarkin said. "I assume you are to head a mission of interception?"

"That'll be Frederick's job." Elias replied, gesturing to the aforementioned cat, who now came into view, dressed in an Imperial Security Bureau uniform. His head was framed with the helmet that had been designed to his specifications.

"Head of the ISB here, I presume."

"Yes." Frederick replied, his voice still layered with the menace he was known to always speak with. "I assume you've heard of me."

"Frederick the Fox, former head of the criminal underworld, now turned head of the ISB. Your reputation precedes you." Tarkin replied, shaking hands with Frederick. Turning to Elias. "What do you propose I do?"

"I would prefer you remain here and coordinate the defence of the castle." Elias replied. "I will not be the one held responsible for placing your life in danger."

Tarkin nodded. "Very well. Go and do what must be done, Grand Inquisitor. Your brethren need you."

Elias nodded and placed his helmet over his head, then motioned for Frederick to follow him.

"What is it that makes that old man so valuable to the Freedom Fighters?" Frederick asked as they walked.

"I suspect it's because of the fact that he is good friends with Roman the Fox." Elias replied. "At least that is what I discerned from the Second Sister during the period in which the old man's ilk was collaborating with the Freedom Fighters."

"Then I should either kill the old man to hurt Roman, or recapture him and use him as bait to get the Freedom Fighters to surrender." Frederick said.

"Either would be preferable then answering to Tarkin for failing." Elias replied. "With someone like Tarkin, it's very easy for him to be able to report what he finds here to either the Emperor or Lord Vader. And then it's both of our necks." It was at this time that Elias spotted someone he'd been meaning to see for a while. "Colonel Aryn!" He called out.

Cersei turned to see Elias running up. "Grand Inquisitor!" She replied as she joined them. "I had just woken up when I heard. Is it true the Freedom Fighters are here?"

"Yes." Elias replied. "And as such, I'd prefer it if you remained here to help coordinate the defence of the castle from the populace."

"Who else is here that can help?" Cersei asked.

"General Okada and Governor Tarkin." Elias replied. "They'll be in the war room."

Cersei's face fell as she said: _"Tarkin?!"_ She asked.

"Yes, Tarkin." Elias said. "But don't worry. With him here, the castle's in good hands. Now you'd best get over there and help."

Cersei nodded and made to obey, but she stopped and said: "Elias, there's something I need to tell you!"

"It can wait!" Elias snapped. "And it's _Grand Inquisitor_ right now. Now get to the war room!" With this, he and Frederick swept away, headed out of the castle.

Cersei frowned, briefly running her hands over her abdomen, feeling a slight bulge. Sighing, she turned and headed in the direction of the War-Room.

* * *

 _ **With Roman, Seth, and the Inquisitors, the City Square…**_

Dodging a jab from the Third Brother, Roman and Seth again switched places, with Roman locking blades with the Second Sister once more.

"Your games end here, fox!" The Second Sister snarled as she pushed Roman back, slashing at him with her lightsabers.

Blocking the attacks with ease, Roman quickly unleashed a punishing counter-attack, one that battered against the defences of the Second Sister, which while formidable, nearly fell under the fury of Roman's aggressive attack. "I don't see what you mean by games." Roman replied, lashing out with a punishing kick that knocked the Second Sister back. Looking to Seth, they both nodded, and thus switched sides, with Roman now squaring off against the Third Brother again.

"Were she the Queen of Shili, you'd have been hung." The Third Brother said as he attacked Roman.

"Where you see a queen, I see a slut." Roman replied rudely.

The Third Brother roared in fury as he attacked, snarling: "You will pay for dishonouring my sister!"

"Your sister?" Roman asked. "And who am I paying? Her for quick sex?" He quickly fell back as the Third Brother attacked furiously, smashing against his defences viciously. "Actually, now that I think about it;" Roman said as he parried a slash that would have left him minus an arm. "I'd rather not. I'd probably get an STD from her, considering how much dick she likely gets during orgies."

The Third Brother responded with another furious attack, one Roman countered with a firm punch to the Third Brother's face. "You know, I'm kinda getting disappointed." Roman remarked. "I was kinda expecting more from you, bro." Roman shrugged and added: "Just like I expect your sister expected more… during your first time together."

The Third Brother let out an enraged cry as he attacked with as much fury as possible.

Roman parried every single one of The Third Brother's attacks, smiling as he lured the Third Brother into a trap he had set for the Third Brother ever since he had started his string of insults towards the Third Brother's sister.

* * *

 _ **With the Freedom Fighters…**_

"Nicole, I thought you said this route would be quiet!" Sally exclaimed as she evaded a storm of blaster fire.

"Sorry Sally, I must have miscalculated in my haste to get a route for you guys." Nicole said.

Sally rolled her eyes and said: "Try and calculate again, and take your time this time."

"Will do, Sally." Nicole said as she dissipated in order to begin.

"You think she can get it right this time?!" Sonic demanded as he ducked oncoming fire.

The group had inadvertently ran into an entire platoon of Stormtroopers, all of whom were firing mercilessly upon them.

"Don't be so hard on her, Sonic!" Tails protested. "She was trying to be quick!" With this, he popped out of cover and returned fire, managing to down several Stormtroopers, whose shots nearly hit him more than once. With this, he ducked down behind cover.

"That was a little risky, don't you think, Tails?" Shatter remarked as he jumped back to avoid the oncoming fire.

"With respect Shatter, I was taking risks even before you or Tusk were grown in a cloning vat!" Tails replied as he grabbed a thermal detonator. Priming and throwing it, Tails smiled as he heard an explosion, followed by the dying screams of those in its vicinity.

"Nice throw!" Caleb remarked as he started firing.

Tails did the same, a smiled on his face as they started to push forward. He only hoped that Roman and Seth were doing well.

* * *

 _ **With Elias, the City Square…**_

"Here's your stop, Grand Inquisitor." Frederick said.

Elias nodded and stood up. "I shall be seeing you, gentlemen." He said before leaping down from the troop transport and storming into the main square.

It wasn't difficult to spot the Jedi, who were engaged in a hectic duel against Elias' Inquisitor brethren.

Roman was currently duelling the Third Brother, and doing very well, with the Third Brother having difficulty in battling against Roman's heavy counter-attacks. Scowling, Elias came forward and into Roman's line of sight, calling out: _**"Roman!"**_

Roman ceased his duel with the Third Brother, looked between the Third Brother and Elias, before suddenly smashing the pommel of his lightsaber into the Third Brother's face, knocking the Togruta down, quickly surging towards Elias, ready to face him again. "I had a feeling you'd show up." Roman said, his face a snarl.

"Just as I knew we would fight again." Elias replied. "Only _this_ time, only one of us is walking away."

"Like only one of us walked away several months ago in Artika?" Roman replied. "Last time, I rendered you nearly helpless."

"That was then." Elias replied. "This is _now."_ With a flourish of his lightsaber, Elias said: "And my meaning was that only one of us will be leaving this place alive."

"Funny." Roman replied. "I recall you saying something along those same lines last time. And like I said, that day in Artika, I left you nearly helpless. I could have killed you." Holding his lightsaber at the ready, Roman growled: "And looking back, I kinda wish I had."

"I'm touched by your show of regret;" Elias said, before snarling: "But regret will not win you victory on this day, nor allow you to keep your life!"

"Like I always say: You're welcome to try." Roman replied.

Elias smiled, before launching himself at Roman, who rushed forward to meet Elias' attack. Just another day in the life of the Grand Inquisitor.

* * *

 _ **With Seth…**_

Blocking a furious flurry from the Second Sister, Seth responded with one of his own, using the fountain in the middle of the square as a catapult to lift himself above the Second Sister, slashing at her with quick and vicious strikes.

Blocking, dodging, ducking or parrying the strikes that Seth attacked her with, the Second Sister backed away and landed a savage kick that knocked Seth back, hearing a nasty crack as Seth's back hit the fountain.

Letting out a groan, Seth grabbed at his back as the Second Sister attacked. Rolling out of the way, Seth managed to leap to his feet, albeit with a stabbing pain in his lower back. Reaching behind and feeling the affected area, Seth deduced he maybe had at least one herniated disc in his back.

The Second Sister was upon him in seconds, sensing his injury like a predator smelling blood.

Seth blocked the attacks as best he could, but his newly sustained injury meant he would be as able to mount a defence as he normally would be. His thoughts travelled to Obi Wan Kenobi, his former master, remembering a conversation he and Obi Wan had had concerning the amount of punishment Obi Wan had sustained during a large-scale battle, and how Obi-Wan had been able to defend himself just as effectively as he would do when not wounded:

"Just trust in the Force, Seth." Obi Wan had said. "Use it as your strength and as your shield, especially when you are as hurt as I was earlier."

Seth sighed as he gave himself up to the Force, allowing it to flow through him like an eternally unbroken river. With this, he found a newfound focus, and suddenly, his defence increased in efficiency until he was finally able to counter one of the Second Sister's attacks, ducking the slash she made at him and slashing a deep wound into her flank, gouging two slashes into her that made an X when their path and been traced.

The Second Sister snarled in pain, backing away and holding her side. "A lucky hit, Jedi." She said. "For the spawn of a teenage whore."

Seth's nostrils flared and he let out an almost feral snarl as he launched a furious attack on the Second Sister, who blocked all of Seth's attacks, cackling as she did.

The Second Sister, using Seth's anger to feed her defence like a leech sucking blood to sustain itself, let out a cackle of delight as she landed a counter of her own, knocking Seth's lightsabers aside and spinning around, landing a gruesome kick to Seth's back directly on his injured area.

Seth groaned in pain as he sank to one knee, his connection to the Force weakened to a degree. As he made to get to his feet, the last thing he saw before being knocked unconscious was that of the Second Sister's leg hurtling towards his face.

* * *

 _ **With Roman…**_

"Seth!" Roman shouted as he used the Force to push away Elias and charge the Second Sister, rapidly blocking the attempt she had made to deal Seth a coup de grace.

"Brave of you, Jedi, but foolish." The Second Sister snarled as she attacked.

Blocking all of the Second Sister's attacks, Roman landed a kick to her wounded flank before landing a thunderous punch to her face, knocking her down.

Getting to her feet, the Second Sister barely had time to duck Roman's attempt to relieve her of her head, rolling out of the way to avoid it. Getting back to her feet, the Second Sister smiled as she saw Elias get up behind Roman. "You're outnumbered now, Jedi."

Roman turned to see Elias, who merely beckoned.

"Until you either kill or be killed by him, he's all yours." Elias said, smiling.

The Second Sister's face became one of shock before it became a snarl, as she launched herself upon Roman, unleashing a withering assault that would have left an ordinary man in multiple pieces, utilising to its full the aggressive nature of Juyo, Form Seven of Lightsaber combat.

Yet Roman managed to block, dodge, duck and parry all of the attacks the Second Sister made, stonewalling her offence in a manner what would have certainly drawn the envy of Seth's former master Obi Wan Kenobi had the Jedi Master been here now.

Seeing her most effective of attacks fail, the Second Sister's attacks turned from measured, quick, and effective, to sloppy, ineffective, and desperate as she smashed her lightsabers against Roman's defences.

Seeing an opportunity to counter, Roman spun his lightsaber and blocked one of her attacks, quickly spinning his lightsaber and himself around, slashing at the hilt of one of the Second Sister's lightsabers.

Seeing that she was now open to assault, Roman blocked another attack from the Second Sister, stepping inside her guard and landing a violent elbow to her face, hearing a bile inducing crack.

Screaming in pain, the Second Sister backed away, holding her face with her free hand. When it came away, it was revealed that the Second Sister now had a severely broken, perhaps even shattered nose. From it, blood was flowing like its own river. The gore had covered the lower part of her face and the upper part of her torso, and was staining her clothing, leaving the material seemingly darker than it normally would be. The blood also stained the hand with which the Second Sister had been covering her face, staining the glove she was wearing also. The sight of her blood now awakened something within the Second Sister; something basic, something primal, something that could only be described as animalistic. With a snarl so vicious it sounded feral, the Second Sister charged Roman as if she were a ravenous zombie, raising her lightsaber up high as she brought it down upon Roman.

Only for Roman to parry the blow as if it were nothing, spin around to her back, and drive his lightsaber up to the hilt into the Second Sister's back.

The Second Sister's face fell as she looked down to see the blue lightsaber blade protruding from her stomach. Her hands weakening, she felt her lightsaber drop from her hand as Roman drew out his lightsaber. Falling to her knees, holding the wound, the Second Sister looked up to see Elias walking up. A hopeful smile crossing her face, she raised her hands towards him in supplication, only to be met with Elias' ignited lightsaber.

" _So_ disappointing." Elias said harshly. "I'd have thought you'd stand a chance." With that, he raised his lightsaber, and struck the Second Sister down.

* * *

As the Second Sister's body toppled to the floor, Elias stepped over it and readied himself for battle with Roman.

Roman did the same, but at the same time, he noticed that the Third Brother had regained consciousness, and was doing the same. Looking between them both, Roman weighed his options. He could stay here and continue fighting until either both Elias and the Third Brother had been defeated, but then again, Seth was still unconscious near the fountain. Either Elias or the Third Brother could go to Seth at any given time during the duel and force Roman to surrender through threatening Seth. Plus, he wasn't here to kill the Inquisitors: He was here to rescue Caleb.

Spinning his lightsabers, Roman said: "Sorry gents, but I'll have to postpone this to a later date." With this, turned so that both were in his line of sight, and sent them both flying with a thunderous Force Push. Once he was sure they wouldn't interrupt, he grabbed Seth, and his lightsabers, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him and Seth out of the square. He had achieved his objective in holding the Inquisitors back while his friends escaped. It was time to make himself and Seth scarce along with them.

* * *

 _ **With the Freedom Fighters…**_

"This isn't looking good!" Tails shouted as he returned fire against the hail that was coming their way.

An entire company of Stormtroopers was firing on them, firing such a large amount that any attempt at escape by the Freedom Fighters would result in them being gunned down where they stood.

"Tell us something we don't know!" Sally shouted in reply as she fired back, seeing a Stormtrooper fall. _That's one down,_ she thought. Looking down, she quickly checked on Sonic: "You okay, Sonic?"

"Just fine, Sal. Just fine." Sonic assured his wife. His left shoulder bore a nasty blaster wound, as Sonic had been unfortunate enough that he had been hit by the initial fire of the Imperial force currently keeping them from escaping. Thankfully, the wound was not serious enough to be life threatening, but bad enough that Sonic would require medical attention.

Sally smiled and patted Sonic gently on his good shoulder before her com-link roared to life, Roman's voice coming through:

"Sally, this is Roman! We've gotten away from the Inquisitors and are enroute to the extraction point! What's your status?"

Sally breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Goddess, Rome! We're pinned down on the outskirts of the city by a large force of Stormtroopers, about an entire company. We need backup, and we need it soon!"

"Doing my best, Sally, but it ain't easy when you're carrying an unconscious man on your back!" Roman replied. "That and when you're also likely being pursued by two lightsaber wielding maniacs."

Sally sighed. "Is Seth alright?" She asked.

"Unconscious, but alright!" Roman replied. "He's also got some sort of back injury. I think one of the discs in his back was herniated during the fight."

Sally nodded. "Okay, just get him here ASAP. Sally out."

"On it. Roman out." Roman replied as the line went dead.

Sally turned and said: "Hold here for as long as we can! Roman's on his way with Seth!"

"Thank the fucking Force!" Tails replied as he returned fire. Only for his gun to stop firing, indicating he was out of ammo. "Fuck!" Tails growled, throwing the gun aside. Turning to Sally, he asked: "Request permission to use my lightsaber!"

"Go ahead. We might need it." Sally said.

Tails nodded and stepped out of cover, immediately igniting his lightsaber. The blue blade flared to life in his hands as he held it at the ready.

At first, the guns stopped firing. And then a familiar voice snarled:

" _ **KILL THAT JEDI!"**_

At this, the guns resumed firing, though most of them were trained on Tails, who blocked them as best he could.

Meanwhile, Ashley felt herself gripped by the icy hand of fear. She'd know that voice anywhere.

It belonged to her father, Frederick the Cat.

* * *

 _ **With Roman and Seth…**_

The sound of oncoming fire was getting louder when Roman felt Seth starting to stir. Stopping quick, he put Seth down and allowed Seth to regain consciousness.

"Ah, fuck…" Seth groaned, rubbing his head. "What happened?" He asked, seeing Roman.

"Got knocked out, Seth." Roman replied. "Had I not saved your ass, the Second Sister would have killed you."

"Thanks." Seth said, sitting up before falling back down, groaning in pain. "Forgot my back was fucked as well." Seth said. "Where's the Inquisitors?"

"Somewhere in pursuit of us." Roman replied. "The Second Sister's dead, by the way."

Seth sighed. "Finally, that bitch is off of my ass." He remarked, giving a low chuckle. "You take her out?"

"More of an involuntary joint effort from me and Elias." Roman replied. "I dealt her a fight ending blow, he gave her the coup de grace." Roman sighed. "Sorry I couldn't save her for you, bro. I know how bad you wanted her dead."

"Never mind." Seth said. "At least my mom can rest easy knowing that she just got avenged." Looking around, Seth chuckled. "Kinda like when we were helping in the hunt for Maul and Savage Opress, huh?"

Roman chuckled. "Only our roles were reversed." He replied, the memory coming back to him.

Seth chuckled. "And Ahsoka was actually still an active Jedi. Whereas right now, she's not exactly in the condition to fight anyone. Not that she wouldn't be able to, though."

Roman smirked. "Remember when she took General Grievous on hand-to-hand despite having a broken leg?" He asked.

"Oh, fuck, don't even remind me of that bit on Shili." He remarked. "You weren't even conscious, given that you'd just gotten four lightsabers to the chest."

Roman scoffed before saying: "Anyway, come on. We gotta keep moving." With this, he helped Seth up, draped one of Seth's arms over his shoulder, and began to help Seth towards the extraction point, and the sound of blasters firing.

* * *

 _ **With the Imperial Forces…**_

"For fuck's sake!" Frederick snarled as another of his men fell. Ducking back behind cover, Frederick held his head in his hands. Their efforts to push forward against the Freedom Fighters had proven fruitless, as the Freedom Fighters were putting up a fierce fight. Already several of the Stormtroopers that formed up the company of Stormtroopers he was commanding had fallen, cut down where they stood. Poking his head above cover, Frederick fired another shot from his pistol, looking up again to find he had not scored a hit. Scowling, Frederick contacted Elias: "Grand Inquisitor, what is your status?! We have the Freedom Fighters cornered, but they're putting up a fight."

"We are currently in pursuit of the Jedi." Elias replied. "We believe they are headed to your position."

As if on cue, the sound of igniting lightsabers was heard.

Frederick managed to turn just in time and duck as a familiar blue blade grazed the top of his helmet, and the heads of several of the Stormtroopers surrounding Frederick fell to the floor, rolling around as aimlessly as they had been firing their blasters.

Frederick stood up, and found himself once again facing the Jedi who had caused him such pain in the past. "Roman… What a pleasant surprise." He said, a sick smile crossing the gangster turned Imperial Security Bureau officer.

"Sounds like our respective definitions of the word 'pleasant' differ greatly." Roman replied.

Frederick scoffed as he looked to see Roman's friend, Seth Kerran cut several Stormtroopers into ribbons. He noticed that Seth wasn't looking in the best of conditions. "Your friend seems to have seen better days." Frederick remarked.

Roman scowled. "Wasn't too long ago that I said that to you." Roman replied.

Frederick mock bowed. "And now the roles are semi-reversed." Frederick said before jumping the barricade and reaching for his left hip, from which hung a sword. With a sound ring, Frederick tore the sword from its sheath, holding it before him in a ready stance.

It didn't take long for Roman to recognise the sword. "That sword…" He said, his face becoming a snarl. "That's mine."

"Come and get it!" Frederick cackled.

With a deafening roar, Roman charged Frederick.

Only for Elias to suddenly appear, lightsaber at the ready. "Prepared to fight again?"

Roman noticed the Third Brother also nearby, ready to attack Seth. Looking to his friend, Roman called out: "Fall back, I'll deal with these guys!"

Seth turned and nodded, limping back to where Tails was standing, beginning to start blocking the blaster bolts of the Stormtroopers as they resumed fire.

Roman spun his lightsaber as he prepared to battle the two Inquisitors.

"Your friend was wise, Jedi." The Third Brother said as he readied himself. "For he knew to retreat when faced with a superior force."

"It's two against one, buddy." Roman replied. He made to say more when a familiar shape appeared next to him, saying:

"Not anymore."

Roman turned and smirked. "First time this has ever happened."

"Certainly won't be the last." Tails replied, holding his lightsaber at the ready.

For a time, everyone stopped to see the four combatants ready themselves, a visible tension about the area.

Finally, Roman and Tails charged the Inquisitors as the battle resumed around them.

* * *

 _ **Castle Eggman War Room, at the same time…**_

"Reports indicate that Frederick and his men have successfully cornered the Freedom Fighters close to what we expect is their extraction point." General Okada reported as he stood over the holo-projector. "The problem is that the Freedom Fighters are putting up fierce resistance."

"Have you considered circumventing them and attacking them from behind?" Tarkin asked.

"They've both sides covered." Okada replied. "It's almost like they intend to die there."

Cersei listened to all this with a worried ear. She was well aware that Elias was in the field, fighting against the Jedi. Including the one that had killed her brother several months ago in Artika.

The thought of it filled her heart with rage, as it did every time she thought of it. She couldn't help but think of the manner with which the Jedi had executed Jax, shooting her little brother in the head seemingly without a second thought.

She was interrupted by Tarkin, who asked her suddenly:

"What do you think, Colonel? Should we send reinforcements to assist Frederick and the Inquisitors? Or should we keep what we have here?"

Cersei drew a sharp breath at Tarkin's voice. She knew Tarkin was not one to forgive failure, and what she said now could mean the difference between success and failure. She also knew that if it were to become a failure, the blame would fall chiefly on her, which would then lead to various outcomes, none of them good.

Frowning, she said: "I'm certain that the force currently out there in the field will be sufficient force enough to capture some of the Freedom Fighters at most."

Tarkin's eyes narrowed. "Confidence like that often leads to failure, Colonel."

"That's because most officers like that don't have three Imperial Inquisitors at their disposal." Cersei replied. "Or an ISB agent."

Tarkin nodded, saying: "If you are confident, then that is the path that we will take." Tarkin said. Keying the intercom, Tarkin said: "QRF, cease preparations and return to your posts. The force we currently have out there dealing with the Freedom Fighters will be successful."

Cersei allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Now all she needed to do was wait and see what the outcome of the battle would be.

* * *

 _ **With the Freedom Fighters…**_

"You okay there, Seth?" Sally called out.

"Hard to say you're okay when you've a herniated disc in your fucking back!" Seth replied as he returned fire, making sure to not aim for Roman or Tails, who were currently battling the Inquisitors. "When're we gonna move?"

"Not until the enemy force is thinned sufficiently enough for us to do so!" Sally replied. "We've still got Stormtroopers behind us too, which'll also be a problem!"

"Well that's not fucking helpful, is it?" Seth asked angrily, before an idea popped into his head. He'd nearly forgotten about his personal plan B if this ever occurred. Contacting Shade on the Emerald, Seth asked: "Is Crankshaft good to go?"

"Yeah. You need him?" Shade asked.

"Yep. Surrounded on both sides. We could use some help taking out the ones currently forcing their way up our proverbial ass." Seth replied.

"On it." Shade said.

Seth let out a breath and turned to Sally: "Sally! Just hold a little longer! Help's on the way!"

"I heard!" Sally replied. "You think Crankshaft will be enough to take out our friends behind us?"

"What do you think we reprogrammed him for?" Seth asked with a smirk as he resumed firing, ignoring the furious pain in his back.

* * *

 _ **With Roman and Elias…**_

Roman parried another attack from Elias as blaster fire arced past them, quickly avoiding another attack that would have left him in two pieces had he not.

"Do you _really_ think you can escape?" Elias snarled as he and Roman found himself in a blade lock. "We have you cut off on both escape paths, and it will only be a matter of time before you are forced to surrender!"

Roman responded by breaking the blade lock, and deftly connecting his fist to Elias' helmet, hearing a crack, which he guessed was from Elias' helmet.

Elias grunted in pain and backed away, holding the affected area with his free hand. Once his hand came away, it revealed one of his eyes.

Roman had to fight the chills crawling up his spine as he saw that one eye, one of a pair that had once shone blue. Now coloured golden, a tell-tale sign of one's corruption by the Dark Side. Chuckling, Roman remarked: "Guess you felt that one."

"Indeed I did." Elias replied. "But all it's doing is making me angrier." With this, Elias attacked again, unleashing the full extent of his knowledge of Juyo, the most aggressive of lightsaber forms, his lightsaber becoming a warhammer in his hands, battering at Roman's defences like a battering ram against a door.

Roman parried the attacks deftly and swiftly. This made for the fourth time he and Elias had met in combat, and in that time, he had grown used to Elias' style. Defending himself as well as he could, Roman quickly found an opening and exploited it, exploding out of his defensive stance with a counterattack characteristic of Djem So, smashing into Elias' defences to a degree that Elias found it hard to defend himself.

Elias did what he could with his lightsaber, but more often than not found himself dodging and ducking the oncoming attacks rather than blocking or parrying. He realised that he needed some space to reconsider his game plan, or risk losing the battle and his head. Unleashing a quick Force Push, he shoved Roman away before attacking again, this time even more fiercely using Juyo, pouring every ounce of his fury and anger into an attack that he knew he could keep up.

Roman found himself pushed back again, finding it hard to defend against the furious assault. He could feel himself tiring already. He only hoped he'd be able to keep the assault at bay for a while longer yet.

* * *

 _ **On the other side of the wall…**_

"Keep up the firing!" The Stormtrooper commander shouted as he and his men poured fire towards the entranceway into the city, from which several of the Freedom Fighters were also firing.

One of the Freedom Fighters' shots found one of the Stormtrooper Commander's men, smashing him full force in the head and flinging them back, the hole where their entire face had formerly been smoking, the wound having already been cauterised.

"Fuck!" The Stormtrooper Commander snarled as he turned back towards the entranceway, continuing his steady stream of fire towards the spot, ducking whenever an oncoming shot came his way. He silently hoped the other side were doing better, because he knew for a fact that a push forward at this juncture would be suicide.

Suddenly, he heard a startled cry from one of his men to his right, followed by a strangulated gurgle and the sound of tearing flesh. Snapping his head towards the sound, he quickly saw what had killed the trooper:

A long Clone Wars era Commando Droid, wielding a vibroblade in one hand, and a looted E-11 in the other.

"I find your resistance laughably hopeless." The droid said as it levelled its blaster at one Stormtrooper, executing them with the emotional detachment of a boulder, quickly dodging and ducking oncoming Stormtrooper blaster fire as he approached, quickly starting his bloody work, cutting numerous Stormtroopers into ribbons.

Blood quickly began to coat his dark brown endoskeleton, turning his colouring from dark brown to gory crimson within seconds of his assault commencing. But Crankshaft dismissed it as nothing and continued his task, blasting several Stormtroopers with the quickness he had been programmed with. Were he human and felt emotion, he might've giggled at the sheer feebleness of the oncoming fire of the Stormtroopers. The clones had been right. They just weren't built the way they would have been in the past.

Within seconds of his attack, the entire contingent lay dead at Crankshaft's feet.

All but one.

The Stormtrooper Commander began to back away, fear beginning to set in. "Please… Don't kill me, I have a family, I got kids! I needed this job!"

"Perhaps you should have considered that before enlisting, Trooper." Crankshaft replied before deftly executing the commander.

As the body toppled to the floor, Crankshaft contacted Seth: "Master Kerran, the enemy forces on this side have been felled. You are free to begin your escape."

* * *

 _ **With Roman and Elias…**_

"Rome! Our rear end is clear! We have to go!" Seth called out.

Roman turned to Seth whilst still locking blades with Elias, who seized this mistake by the horns, shoving Roman away and slashing at Roman viciously.

The resultant strike caught Roman directly on the top of his right shoulder, slashing down until Elias' blade met Roman's sternum.

Letting out a pained snarl, Roman backed away, holding his fresh wound.

Using the already considerable momentum of his lightsaber, Elias spun it and lunged forwards in a standardised fencing lunge, intent on catching Roman in the chest and finally dealing a fatal blow.

Only for Seth to suddenly come forth, throwing Elias back with a Force Push. Turning to Roman, Seth ignited his lightsabers. "See yourselves and Caleb to safety." Seth said.

Roman shook his head. "I'm not leaving-"

" _ **SEE IT DONE, ROMAN!"**_ Seth shouted as he attacked Elias with everything he had.

Reluctantly, Roman retreated, running alongside the others towards the safety of the Emerald, leaving Seth alone against Elias and the Imperials.

"Brave of you to stay behind." Elias taunted. "But foolish of you to do so, injured as you are."

Seth responded by kicking Elias away, launching another furious offensive, causing Elias to back away under the fury of his attack.

Finding himself and Seth in a blade lock, Elias said: "You're getting desperate, Jedi. Desperate to buy time for your friends to escape." Pushing his way out of the lock, Elias lashed out with a brutal kick that caught Seth right in the small of his back, just about hitting the herniated disc in his back, which in itself caused shockwaves of pain to explode Seth's nervous system.

Crying out in pain, Seth backed away, now finding himself on the defensive.

Elias turned, finding he now was joined by the Third Brother. In a rare show of consensus, the two shared a nod, before launching their assault on Seth.

Latching onto his knowledge of Soresu like a leech latching onto human flesh to feast on blood, Seth blocked and parried all the attacks as he knew he could. But he knew that he had lost the fight already. All he was doing now was delaying the inevitable in the hope of buying time for his friends to escape.

After a few minutes, Seth spotted a ship lifting off into the sky, one he knew well: The Emerald.

The Third Brother, catching on to this momentary distraction just as Elias did, pushed his way out of the blade lock the three combatants were currently locked in, and slashed at Seth's left hand lightsaber, cutting the hilt in two and destroying the lightsaber.

Seth responded by shoving the Third Brother away and continuing his battle with Elias, blocking Elias' attacks with a singular focus, unwittingly turning his back on the others.

And thus, his downfall came about.

Seth suddenly felt an arm wrap around his throat, and quickly felt a stabbing pain in the small of his back not long after, a stabbing pain that travelled through to his abdomen. The pain was not the pain he was feeling from his herniated disc, but a cold, biting sort of pain. The sort of pain one feels when they've been stabbed.

"Born a Jedi, _fall_ a Jedi." A voice snarled from behind.

Seth fell to his knees, just as the voice from behind him tore his blade free. Looking up, he soon saw Elias.

Who promptly smashed the hilt of his lightsaber into Seth's head.

Falling to the floor, consciousness draining from his skull, Seth looked up at the Emerald making its escape, knowing that at least he had been able to delay the enemy enough that his friends had been able to escape. His last thought before losing consciousness was of one thing, and one person alone: _Ahsoka._

* * *

 **And now, the main arc of the story begins.**

 **I bet you weren't expecting the Second Sister to meet her end in this chapter, were you? But hey, it's the Dark Side, and the weak perish.**

 **Also, little bit of Sonic trivia for you: What significance does the name of this chapter have in the world of Sonic the Hedgehog? Leave me your answers in your reviews.**

 **With that said, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please, leave a review in the appropriate section, and tell me what you enjoyed and what you thought I could have done better. In the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then you're welcome to favourite and follow this fanfiction, so you can be notified whenever I upload another chapter.**

 **Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, where Sally and Roman clash over choices made during the escape.**

 **T-Rock14**


	8. Chapter 8: There's Always a Choice

**Chapter 8: There's Always a Choice**

 _ **On the Emerald, at about the same time…**_

Sally literally counted the seconds before Roman burst into the bridge of the Emerald, his face a mask of such fury that Sally almost ran past him to avoid his wrath.

"What the fuck are we doing?!" Roman demanded.

"Getting out of here." Shade replied, unaware of just how angry Roman was.

"I wasn't talking to you, bitch!" Roman snarled, drawing Knuckles' attention as the large heavyset echidna got to his feet to calm down the situation:

"Now Rome, I know you're mad, but-"

Roman interrupted by pushing Knuckles back into his seat. "I wasn't talking to you either." He growled, before turning to Sally, who'd used that small respite to compose herself. "Now where was I?" He demanded.

"Asking what I'm doing, if I recall." Sally replied. "And to answer your question, I'm getting us and Caleb out of here."

"When we also could have used the firepower on this ship to extract Seth as well." Roman replied.

"And risk hitting civilians?" Sally asked. "You're asking a lot to save one person."

"That _one_ person is going to be a dad in a _**fucking month!"**_ Roman exploded, spittle flying everywhere from his mouth. "And you've just gone and left him behind." Throwing his hands up in the air, Roman said: "Well done Sally, you just violated the oldest rule in the book on being a soldier: No-one gets left behind."

"Don't lecture me about being a soldier, Roman!" Sally snapped, her temper rising. "Do you think I wanted to leave Seth behind?" Sally demanded. "I had no choice, Roman! One man opposed to every single person on this ship, including the one we came here to rescue? If we'd tried to rescue Seth, we'd all be in chains right now!"

"There's always a choice, Sally." Roman replied coldly. Scoffing, he said: "I guess you weren't smart enough to make that choice when it presented itself."

Sally's eyes widened as she suddenly snarled: "You did not just say that."

"The fuck I did!" Roman growled, stepping right up to Sally so that their faces were touching. "Thanks to your indecision, my best friend is either dead or being dragged to a jail cell!"

" _My_ indecision?" Sally demanded, pushing Roman back. "I actually made a decision and stuck to it. The _better_ decision, may I add."

Roman laughed. "Even after everything I've seen from you Sally, I never thought I'd see the day you became a coward."

Sally's fist found his face soon after, making him stagger back a little. Wiping his now bloody lip, Roman looked up before saying: "Alright then, bring it!" With that, he moved to tie up with Sally, only to be forced apart by Knuckles.

" _ **KNOCK IT OFF!"**_ Knuckles shouted, eyeing the both of them like a father looking over squabbling children. "We don't have time to start fighting amongst ourselves." Turning to Roman, Knuckles said: "Head back into the hold and cool off. I'll deal with you later."

Roman nodded and made to go, but not before connecting with a thunderous punch to Knuckles' face, one that knocked the crimson echidna back into his seat. Once he did that, he looked at Sally and spat in her general direction before turning and walking out of the room, flipping Sally the bird as he did.

Sally sank back into her seat, her head in her hands as she began to mentally debate whether she had made the right decision.

* * *

 _ **Cargo Hold of the Emerald, moments later…**_

Tails made to get up when Roman stormed in, but Ashley stopped him with a look.

 _Wait until his mood's improved,_ Ashley's eyes said to Tails.

The twin-tailed vulpine nodded and reluctantly sat back down, just as suddenly, Roman began to pound on the walls, roaring expletives:

" _ **That fucking bitch!"**_ Roman snarled, marking each expletive with a fresh dent in the wall. _"That no good,_ _ **indecisive CUNT!"**_ He growled.

"That 'no good, indecisive cunt' is my wife, Roman." Sonic said, unaware of Roman's black mood.

Roman rounded on Sonic, who flinched in a rare show of fear from the blue blur. "Do I look like I give a shit who your wife is, Sonic?" the vulpine Jedi snapped. "Thanks to your fuck-puppet, my best friend is either dead or in a fucking jail-cell!"

"That's no reason to be taking it out on Sonic, general." Shatter replied.

Roman turned to Shatter, who instantly stiffened.

"Forgive me sir. I overstepped." He said.

Roman nodded, before looking at Sonic. "Regardless, I shouldn't have said that." He said. Falling back so that he was sitting down with his back against the wall. "I'll let Ahsoka deal with Sally later." He said.

Shatter and Tusk shared a worried look at this. They both knew full well how angry Ahsoka could get. And once she had found out Seth had been left behind on Sally's orders… well, Sally would not get off lightly.

With this and other dark thoughts on their minds, the clones and the others resorted to silence, knowing that any further conversation on the subject would awaken Roman's fury.

* * *

 _ **Later, Emerald Island Village, 14:50 pm…**_

"Well, we're here." Sally said as she entered the hold, a relaxed smile crossing her face. It quickly faded as she read the sombre mood of the group, causing her to sigh.

"I know you're all mad about Seth getting left behind, but-"

Roman interrupted by getting to his feet, an action that made the whole group tense, prepared to try and pry Roman off of Sally if he made to attack her. But no such thing happened. Instead, Roman just waited patiently for the ramp to lower, and left, but not before throwing a withering scowl in Sally's direction.

"I don't think he's your biggest fan right now, Sally." Tails remarked as he walked up next to Sally.

"Oh yeah? What was your first clue?" Sally replied sarcastically.

"Uh, the very audible argument you two had just after we took off, and the very near fight Sonic nearly started with him." Tails replied as he started down the ramp. "I'd avoid him for a while, if I were you." With that, he continued down the ramp and went out of sight.

Sally sighed before walking down the ramp herself, soon spotting Roman walking out of sight with a clearly distressed Ahsoka, followed suit by a concerned Tails.

"You alright?" asked a voice as Sally felt a gentle hand grip her shoulder.

Sally nodded as she looked at Sonic. "Yeah. Just worried about the things Roman might be saying to Ahsoka."

"We'll deal with that when we get to it." Sonic said supportively. "Besides, what can Ahsoka do to you? She's eight months pregnant."

Sally nodded and said: "Let's hope she sees my side of things and agrees with me." She looked worriedly in the direction Roman, Ahsoka and Tails had gone, before adding: "In which case I'd be concerned about her wellbeing, considering Roman's mood."

"Like I said, Sally." Sonic said, turning her towards him. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He punctuated this with a gentle kiss.

Sally returned the kiss as best she could before breaking it. The first thing she saw over Sonic's shoulder were two very worried clones, who were pointing behind her. Her eyes narrowing, Sally backed away from Sonic, who made a face that made it clear that whatever was behind her, was not conducive to her side of the story. Turning to face what was behind her, she was turned spun around again by the hardest punch to the face she had ever received. And she'd received a few. Staggering back into Sonic's arms, Sally pushed herself out of his arms and turned, instantly wishing she hadn't.

Standing before her, flanked by an equally concerned Roman and Tails, was one extremely angry, heavily pregnant Togruta.

"Care to explain yourself?" Ahsoka demanded.

* * *

Sally thought carefully about what she needed to say, in order to both do what Ahsoka demanded of her, and calm Ahsoka down. But as she opened her mouth, Ahsoka landed a bazooka of an uppercut that knocked Sally off of her feet, sending Sally to the floor.

" _ **ANSWER ME!"**_ Ahsoka demanded.

Wiping blood from her lip, Sally said: "We had no choice."

"There's _always_ a choice." Ahsoka snarled. Folding her arms, Ahsoka added: "So either you're not as intelligent as any of us thought like I hear Roman said to you, or you were too short sighted to see the choice that could have been made."

Getting to her feet, Sally retorted: "What would you have had me do then? Risk the lives of every single other person on this fucking mission just to save Seth?" Sally scoffed. "I'd have figured a Jedi to be slightly less selfish."

Ahsoka responded with another hellish punch to Sally's face, knocking her again to the floor. "I'm _no_ fucking Jedi." Ahsoka snarled. "Betrayals like the one you've just wrought are the reason I left."

"Is that the _only_ reason?" Sally asked. "Cause another I can think of is that you left so that Seth could knock you up like some common whore!"

Ahsoka responded with a cry of rage and smashed Sally in the face harder than she ever had, feeling something break as she knocked Sally down. Then, mounting Sally, she began raining down punch after punch, shouting: "He was your friend! And you abandoned him!"

Sonic started forward, but met the eyes of Roman, whose eyes said:

 _Don't even think about it._

It was half a minute before Ahsoka suddenly collapsed off of Sally, breathing heavily and holding her belly.

Shaking his head, Roman motioned for Shatter and Tusk to get Ahsoka away before he walked over to Sally, joining Sonic in attending to Sally. "I had no idea it was going to escalate _that_ quickly." Roman remarked.

Sally scoffed. Her lower lip was badly split due to repeated punches, and her left eye looked as if it would be swollen shut. Thankfully, Sally still had her mouth guard, so her teeth were intact, but her nose also was broken, not badly, though. "That's rich, considering _you_ were the one that put her in that state of mind."

Roman held up his hands. "Sally, I tried to diffuse that situation!" He protested. "Me and Tails both did."

"Well, you clearly failed." Sonic snarled coldly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a beat up wife to attend to."

Roman shook his head and rose to his feet, turning to leave. But before he did, Roman turned once again to Sonic and said: "As much as it pains me to say, Sally brought that on herself. Both with her decision today in the field, _and_ her unnecessary comment about Ahsoka." With that, he and Tails left, followed suit by Ashley and Caleb.

Sonic looked up and saw that everyone else was also leaving him and Sally alone.

It wasn't long before Sally realised that her decision to leave Seth behind might have had far worse repercussions than she had anticipated. It wasn't long before the tears came. The tears of one that is sorrowful for making a bad decision.

* * *

 **Well, sooth to say Sally's decision making has pretty much cost her dearly. And it will further cost her as the fanfiction progresses.**

 **With that being said, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please leave a review in the appropriate section, telling me what you enjoyed and what I can do better for next time. In the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then you are invited to favourite and follow this fanfiction, so that you will be notified whenever I upload a new chapter.**

 **Again, thank you all for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which sees Sally attempt to clear the air with Roman, only to make things worse.**

 **T-Rock14**


	9. Chapter 9: From Bad to Worse

**Chapter 9: From Bad to Worse**

 _ **Angel Island Village War Room, 19**_ _ **th**_ _ **October 3241, 11:30 am…**_

Roman saw Sally visibly tense as he walked into the room, followed suit by Ashley, Tails, Caleb, and the clones.

She relaxed somewhat when she saw that Ahsoka was not with them, breathing a sigh of relief. Ahsoka was recovering in the medical centre, having nearly lost the baby she carried due to the stress of the previous day, the events of which still weighing heavy on Sally's mind.

She eyed Roman, whose eyes met hers, and she saw that Roman's normally chocolate brown eyes had darkened to a muddy black, a tell-tale sign of Roman's lingering dark mood. Sally frowned at this, but felt a reassuring arm wrap around her waist as Sonic came to her side.

The cerulean hero's eyes were also dark as he glared at Roman, who ignored this hostile show as he calmly stopped, his eyes on the holoprojector instead of those he was currently not pleased with.

Knuckles and the Chaotix were quick to enter as well, taking a position on Sonic and Sally's side of the room, as did Bunnie, Antoine and Rotor when they entered as well.

Team Rose quickly came in, with several members, namely Blaze and Cream, taking Roman's side, and the others taking Sally's side, those being Amy, Big and Sasha, the wolf whose life Amy had saved.

Finally, Team Dark came in, standing firmly at Roman's side.

For a time, they stood like this like two armies sizing one another up before a major battle.

Sally finally broke the silence and the tense atmosphere by addressing Roman: "For the record Rome, yesterday's mission was, to say the least, a staggering success. We achieved our main objective, which was to rescue Caleb, thus reuniting him with his grandson. But we also taught the Imperial presence here on Mobius a valuable lesson: No-one is safe. Not even Dr Eggman."

Roman shrugged. "True, true." He replied. "But now we have a new problem."

Sally sighed. She'd known her attempt to sneak past that particular subject would not work.

Roman stepped forward as he said: "While our mission to rescue Caleb was a success, we also committed a cardinal sin in the field: We left someone behind. That someone just so happened to be my close friend, Seth Kerran."

The mood in the room darkened to a degree that it seemed that the air itself seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for the entire group to erupt in violence.

Roman folded his arms as he eyed Sally, who suddenly felt much younger again. "Now we could have prevented that from happening, had we used the firepower we had at our disposal to send the Imperials back before extracting Seth. But what Sally deigned to do was the exact opposite. Instead, she decided to turn and fly away, leaving him to be captured and possibly tortured." Roman sighed. "Now, I know what the risks of trying to rescue Seth could've been, and I'm well aware that we could've all been captured instead. But it's like I said when we were planning the op to rescue Caleb; it's worth a try. And besides, I'd rather have died by Seth's side then leave him out to dry."

Everyone in the room suddenly nodded agreement, save for Sonic and Sally, the latter of whom said:

"And what if there'd been civilians in the surrounding buildings? Would you be so quick to act _then?"_

"Well, if you had the Force, like me and Tails did, don't you think we'd have noticed if there was anyone in the surrounding buildings? Why else would I propose we use the firepower we had on the Emerald?" Roman retorted.

Sally mentally swore. She hadn't considered that. "Well how was I to know then?" She replied.

"You could've asked." Tails replied, shrugging innocently.

Sally rolled her eyes. This was not going her way at all. Frowning, Sally said: "Regardless, I was in command of that mission, and not you, Rome. I went with the decision that would benefit us as a whole, and not just you for your selfish wish to get your friend back."

"True." Roman replied. "But my reasoning wasn't selfish. You're forgetting that Seth has a pregnant girlfriend due to give birth in a month. I wanted us to go with my course of action so that Seth's kid had a decent chance to know his father. Something you just jeopardised yesterday."

Sally scowled. _"Again_ with the baby?" She demanded. "Is that your _only_ reason?"

"No child should ever grow up without a father, Sally." Roman replied.

Sally sighed. Looking up, she replied: "Well, in case you've forgotten, most of the people in this room grew up without a father. Yourself included." Sally paused before adding: "And have any of us turned out bad?"

"That was different, Sally." Roman replied. "Back then, we had each other to keep ourselves going. It was the friendships we shared during those days that shaped us as the individuals we are now. But Seth and Ahsoka's child won't have that. The kid needs a father. And unless we rescue Seth, _and_ soon, your decision yesterday will have deprived that kid of that need." With that, Roman turned and left, the people that had stood with him following suit.

Sally sighed and folded her arms. She had a decision to make.

* * *

 _ **Later, Roman and Ashley's house, 12:15 pm…**_

Roman leaned back in his chair, his mood having darkened to a significant degree. He'd long since finished his lunch, a simple turkey sandwich coupled with an apple, and was now just relaxing, a large frown on his face.

Ashley watched this with a worried look. She had only seen Roman in this type of mood a handful of times, and it had never boded well for those that had put him in that mood. She recalled the days leading up to the operation yesterday, the most recent time before now that Roman had been in a similar mood. She remembered trying to calm him down with simple talk, but Roman had been laser-focused on the subject that had angered or upset him so. Ashley had since decided to let Roman calm himself down, as her own opinions clearly fell on deaf ears. Not that she could blame him; his best friend was now likely imprisoned and under torture thanks to Sally's decision.

Her troubled eyes met those of Tails, whose eyes shared a similar complexion. She thought of his presence in the meeting room, where he was usually one of the more vocal people. But she suspected Tails had kept his thoughts mostly to himself because they were mostly thoughts that would not be conducive to the stability of the Freedom Fighters.

Tails had been seething about the events of the previous day, particularly when Roman had told Tails that Seth was already badly injured at the time of the escape. Tails was also furious about the comment Sally had made about Ahsoka having left the Jedi Order just to let Seth get her pregnant. He had confessed to Ashley that he had been so tempted to punch Sally in the face, he didn't care how it left things between him and Sonic. With that in mind, Ashley gave Tails a nod in appreciation of the restraint Tails had shown.

Tails nodded in return, just as Nicole suddenly appeared right in front of him, surprising the twin-tailed vulpine so much that he fell back in his chair.

"Any particular reason why you're here, Nicole?" Roman asked icily, one eye open as he affixed Nicole with a similar glare as the one he had given Sally earlier.

Nicole frowned. "Sally wants to talk to you." She said. "Alone."

Sitting up, Roman tented his hands. "And what reason would you expect me to have for wanting to talk to Sally at this point in time?"

Ashley tensed. Roman's tone seemed very insistent that Nicole leave at that moment, lest his mood took a turn for the worse.

Folding her arms, Nicole remained unintimidated. "She wants to clear the air once and for all between you two over Seth. For the good of the Freedom Fighters."

Roman's tone became cynical as he muttered: "It seems that every decision Sally makes is 'for the good of the Freedom Fighters' nowadays. Whatever next? Her making the decision to get pregnant 'for the good of the Freedom Fighters'?"

Ashley and Tails cringed at the cynical sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Nicole again remained unaffected. "Regardless of what you believe, she wants to speak to you. I advise you do so." With that, Nicole disappeared.

Roman stood up, rolling his shoulders. "Fair enough." Roman said before he left the room and the house, already thinking of what he was going to say.

* * *

 _ **Angel Island War Room, 12:45 pm…**_

Sally breathed a sigh of relief when she finally saw Roman enter the room. Sonic had voiced his doubts that Roman would acquiesce, but Sally had been confident that Roman would do so. He'd once said he'd always try and do what was best for the Freedom Fighters. "Glad you could come on such short notice, Roman." Sally said as sociably as possible. "Sonic thought you'd refuse to come."

"I almost did." Roman replied snappily. "Now since I am here, give me a reason to stay."

Sally frowned. This wasn't getting off to the best of starts. "To the point, then."

"Nicole did say you wanted to clear the air between us over what happened yesterday." Roman replied.

Sally nodded. Shaking her head, Sally said: "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. But you have to see why I did it."

"To stop everyone else from getting captured." Roman replied. "I know." He scowled as he added: "It still doesn't change that you committed a cardinal sin in leaving Seth behind. You know as well as I do that no-one gets left behind."

Sally frowned. "You're not going to let that part slide, are you?" She asked.

"No, because it's true." Roman replied. "It's a rule I adhere to, no matter what."

Sally sighed. "Even if it endangers the entire group?"

"Even that." Roman replied. "Especially since my team would've gladly stayed down there to get him back."

Sally sighed. "Okay, okay, I admit it. What happened yesterday was a bad call on my part."

"About fucking time!" Roman snapped. "If you'd admitted as much yesterday, maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation." Roman folded her arms. "Now all we have to do is plan and stage a rescue. Thank fuck we've got a month until the baby is born."

Sally sighed. "Ah, well, that may be a problem. Because as far as I'm concerned, we can't rescue Seth."

* * *

Roman's face fell into one of temporary confusion, as he considered what Sally had just said. Then his face became one of anger as he asked: _"Excuse me?"_

Sally spread her arms out. "Roman, think. We _barely_ managed to rescue Caleb, and he was much less guarded than Seth will likely be. Imagine who we could lose if we tried."

"Trying's better than not trying!" Roman shot back. "I'd rather die trying to rescue Seth then sitting back and doing nothing while the Empire torture him to fucking death."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Sally demanded, her hands finding her hips. "I know for a fact that Seth is likely imprisoned in the castle dungeons, in the _most_ heavily guarded location on this planet. We'd never even get close."

"We have a month, Sally." Roman replied. "We could _easily_ plan for such a mission if we put our minds to it."

"True." Sally replied. "But knowing the Empire, they might just order his execution before we have a chance to complete the preparations for said mission."

"Then we'll just do what we did yesterday, just more high profile." Roman replied. "With luck, we might even take out the other two Inquisitors."

Sally sighed. "Sorry Roman, but I can't risk it. Not after what happened yesterday."

Roman folded his arms. "You 'can't' risk it?" He asked. "Can't, or won't?"

Sally scowled. "Say what you will, but I'm doing this to make sure everyone of our friends and family stay alive."

"In other words, you're pussying out because you're scared of what _might_ happen." Roman replied.

"It's a valid concern." Sally shot back. "I'm doing this for Ahsoka and her child's benefit as well as the rest of us. It's all in all preferable to all of us dying in some bone-headed rescue attempt and leaving Ahsoka with no-one to raise her baby with."

"So you'd rather her child grow up _without_ its father and ever knowing him?" Roman demanded.

Sally's expression remained unchanged. "My decision is final." She replied, her voice steely calm. "There will be _no_ attempt to rescue Seth. I'm sorry Roman, but-"

Roman's fist found Sally's face before she had a chance to finish, knocking her to the floor and drawing blood.

Wiping the blood from her split lip, Sally said: "I could easily court martial you for that, Roman."

"Go ahead." Roman spat. "Either way, Seth's blood is on your hands. Not mine." With that, Roman turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard that plaster fell from the ceiling.

Sally stood up and wiped the blood away and sighed. "Not the first time that's been the case." She said to herself. "And it'll definitely not be the last." With that, she left the room and headed to her own house, where she knew Sonic would be waiting for her.

* * *

 _ **Once Roman was home…**_

"You've got to be kidding me." Tails remarked as he heard what Roman had to say about the conversation with Sally he'd just returned from.

"Apparently not." Roman replied as he sat down, his face a mask of near unmistakeable fury. "She says it's because we barely got Caleb out, and she's certain that Seth's currently imprisoned in the Imperial Castle, with no chance of us rescuing him."

"Seriously?" Ashley asked. "I recall reading GUN files detailing you and the Freedom Fighters staging riskier rescue missions during Eggman's time in power."

"Exactly." Roman replied. "But apparently the risk now is too great for us to even try according to Sally. She dismissed my argument that we have a month to plan for said rescue, saying the Empire could just order his execution."

"Bullshit!" Tails spat. "Seth is far too valuable to the Empire for them to even consider killing him off that quickly. I have a feeling they'd rather interrogate and do whatever it takes to make him tell them where we're holed up."

"Which given how tough Seth has proven himself to be, will be easier said than done." Roman replied. Sitting back, Roman threw up his hands in the air. "But because it's apparently too risky, Sally isn't willing to sanction a rescue mission."

"Even though we only completed a high risk rescue mission _yesterday."_ Ashley replied. "It was Sally's call that caused us to leave Seth behind. Had she not done that, we'd not be in this position."

"True." Roman said. Tenting his hands, Roman said: "And now, Seth's child is doomed to forever live without ever knowing his father."

Ashley sighed before she had an idea. "It doesn't _have_ to be that way, though." She suddenly said. "We can still rescue Seth."

Tails perked up. "Are you suggesting we completely disregard Sally's orders?" He asked.

Roman sat forward, weighing it up in his mind, before nodding. "If it means we save Seth, then that's something I'm willing to try."

"Even if it means we incur Sally's wrath for disobeying orders?" Tails inquired.

Roman folded his arms before saying: "With respect to Sally, she isn't the one set to become a father in a month. With that in mind, Sally can take her orders and fuck herself with them." Roman stood up and walked forwards a matter of paces, deep in thought, before stopping and turning to Tails. "Get as many of the people that stood with us this morning as possible to meet us here tonight. I have an idea."

* * *

 **Poor Sally. Things just aren't going her way, are they? The decisions she's made so far haven't been 'for the good of the Freedom Fighters'. All her decisions are doing are dividing the Freedom Fighters. Am I the only one getting Captain America: Civil War vibes from writing this?**

 **One of my favourite Marvel Movies aside, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please leave a review in the appropriate section, telling me what you enjoyed and what you think I can do better. And in the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then favourite and follow this story, so that you will be notified whenever I upload a new chapter.**

 **Again, thank you all for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which sees Elias faced with a brand new problem, and a choice he may not have the strength to make.**

 **T-Rock14**


	10. Chapter 10: A New Dilemma

**Chapter 10: A New Dilemma**

 _ **Imperial Castle, Mobotropolis, 15:30pm…**_

"Well done, Grand Inquisitor." Darth Vader said as he spoke to Elias via hologram. "With the capture of the Jedi Seth Kerran, you have rid the Freedom Fighters of one of their key members, and rid the Empire of one of the many Jedi that threaten its stability."

Elias nodded. "Thank you Lord Vader. But regardless, two Jedi still remain." He replied.

"Two Jedi who will also share Kerran's fate once they too are captured." Vader replied harshly. "One is no Jedi, and the other, while your equal in terms of skill, will be easily dispatched when you and your brethren are able to fight as one against him."

Elias nodded. "There is still the issue of Dr Eggman's replacement." He remarked.

Vader's breathing conveyed the Dark Lord's indifference to the issue. "Doctor Eggman was a dim-witted fool, even though brilliant of mind, was too myopic to realise just how bold the Freedom Fighters have become." Another short period of breathing followed before Vader continued: "Until a replacement can be sent, Governor Tarkin will assume temporary governance of Mobius. Perhaps he will succeed where Doctor Eggman failed."

Elias nodded. Tarkin was more than worthy of the position, especially since his reputation preceded him. Tarkin was one of the best battle tacticians the Galactic Empire had, having always believed that the ends justified the means. "Knowing the Governor as we do, that will likely be the case."

"Indeed." Vader replied. "As for the Jedi, Kerran, bring him to me at my fortress on Mustafar. I would have words with him before he dies."

Elias frowned. "With respect my lord, might we be allowed to try and discover the location of the Freedom Fighter base, in order to send the Freedom Fighters to their doom?"

Darth Vader's breathing once again filled the silence as the Sith Lord considered the idea.

With every breath that Vader took, Elias grew ever more nervous. It was not common for one to suggest an alternative idea to one suggested by Darth Vader himself. Such thinking could easily result in the death of the one who had made the suggestion.

Eventually, Vader's silence was broken with an angry reply: "I can easily do that myself, Inquisitor!" Vader snarled.

Elias' breath caught in his throat as he attempted to placate Vader. "I didn't mean to offend." He squeaked.

Vader was silent for a brief few more minutes before saying: "Regardless, you have your orders, Inquisitor. See to it that they are followed. Bring the Jedi to me." With that, Vader's image disappeared.

* * *

Elias finally stood up, wiping his brow free of perspiration. _That could have been worse,_ Elias thought to himself.

"And?" Asked a voice.

Elias almost jumped when he heard the voice, turning around to face Tarkin. "You could have knocked." Elias growled, folding his arms.

"Apologies. I've never been one to follow common courtesy." Tarkin replied. "But as I was saying, what did Lord Vader have to say?"

"He congratulated me on the capture of the Jedi and asked me to bring them to Lord Vader as soon as I could. He also nominated you as Dr Eggman's temporary stand-in."

Tarkin nodded. "All in good taste, though I am curious as to why Lord Vader would wish to waste his time with a Jedi such as the one you captured."

"He wishes to have words with him." Elias said. "It's not my business to pry further."

Tarkin nodded. "And where are you to present the Jedi to Lord Vader?" He asked.

"To his castle on Mustafar." Elias replied. "Where else?"

"Well, there is Coruscant, and he could meet us in orbit here if it please him."

"Well, he said Mustafar." Elias said. "And I'm not one to refuse Vader, so that is where I will take the Jedi."

Tarkin nodded. "Very well." He said. "Well, I had best go and prepare a statement on yesterday's events, and assume governorship of this planet." With that, Tarkin left, passing Colonel Aryn on the way in.

* * *

Once Tarkin was out of earshot, Cersei shot in, closed the door, and rushed to Elias. "Are you alright? You seem shaken."

Elias nodded. "I am fine, Cersei." He replied. "But it appears that I will need to make preparations to leave for Mustafar."

Cersei frowned. "For what reason?"

"Lord Vader has requested I bring him the Jedi." Elias replied. "He wishes to have words with the Jedi and discern the location of the Freedom Fighter base."

Cersei folded her own arms. "That should be our job!" She snapped.

Elias raised a hand to steady her, saying: "Regardless, it is the will of Lord Vader."

Cersei's face took on a worried appearance. "Then I won't be able to accompany you, unfortunately. If Lord Vader discovered our relationship, who knows what he would do!"

Elias frowned. "Why would that be the case?" He asked. "We've kept it a secret from everyone else. Vader will be no different."

Cersei shook her head. "It's different now, Elias! I'm at the stage now that Vader will notice!"

"Notice what? And what are you talking about?" Elias demanded.

Cersei looked about worriedly and said: "It's what I was trying to tell you yesterday before you headed out to battle the Jedi: I'm pregnant."

* * *

Elias' eyes widened as he felt the weight of the announcement fall upon him. _Pregnant._ The word provoked a plethora of emotions and thoughts, coursing through his mind. Joy, surprise, worry, he named them all. But the emotion he felt most was fear. If Cersei's pregnancy was discovered by someone like Tarkin, it could possibly expose Elias and Cersei's affair, and ruin both their careers. Vader would no doubt kill Elias and Cersei if he discovered this. Frowning, he turned away from Cersei, deep in thought. And then the solution came. Turning to Cersei, Elias smiled. "Not if I deliver the Jedi to Vader personally." He replied. "You can remain on the Star Destroyer we take, while I head down to the planet with the Jedi. You can still come with me."

Cersei frowned. "I wouldn't be so sure. Vader might sense your fear."

"He won't." Elias assured her. "By the time we've arrived, it should be no problem for me to put up a façade."

Cersei rubbed her shoulders. "I hope you're right, Elias." She said. "For us and the baby's sake."

Elias nodded, and placed his hand over Cersei's womb. "It will be alright in the end, Cersei. All you need to do is take a temporary leave of absence. Then, once the child is born, you can entrust its care to your parents on Coruscant. They will do the rest."

Cersei frowned. "It might look suspicious, though." She remarked.

"I will ensure no-one bats an eyelid." Elias replied. "Any that do will… mysteriously disappear."

Cersei frowned. "I assume you're going to entrust this information to Frederick, then?"

Elias nodded. "I trust him. We have a… special relationship, to say the least."

Cersei sighed. "Well, at least I've managed to tell you." She said.

Elias nodded. "At least." He repeated. "Now, you'd best leave. I'd rather you weren't penalised for neglecting your duties."

Cersei nodded, and made to leave, but not before planting a gentle kiss on Elias' cheek. Then, she turned and left.

Elias waited a few moments, before leaving the room as well. He needed to talk to Frederick about this fresh dilemma.

* * *

 _ **Frederick's Office, Later…**_

"Oh dear…" Frederick remarked as Elias made his confession known. "You _are_ in trouble."

"I won't be if you agree to keep this secret for me." Elias replied. "I can't have rumours beginning to spread about this."

Frederick sat back in his seat and folded his arms. "Well, Cersei will inevitably begin to show, Grand Inquisitor. The rumours will no doubt begin then."

"I've asked Cersei to take a leave of absence _before_ that happens." Elias replied. "With luck, she can have the child, give it to her family to raise, and continue with her duties."

Frederick frowned and sat forward. "The length of absence will surely be noted and look suspicious."

"I'm relying on you to make sure that doesn't happen, Frederick." Elias said. Taking on a menacing tone, Elias stood up and leaned forward in an intimidating manner. "Because if it does, I won't hesitate to hunt you down and kill you."

Frederick sat back and tented his hands, smirking. "There is another option, if I may."

Sitting down, Elias said: "Yes?"

Frederick leaned forward, darkness falling over his face. "You could always kill the Colonel." He said.

Elias' face darkened as well. "You would have me kill the mother of my child, and the child with her?" Elias said.

"I would have you remove a liability." Frederick replied. "I know you care for the Colonel deeply, but your love for her will only weaken your resolve. By killing her, and the child you know she carries, you restore the strength of your resolve, and ensure you continue the work you've done for the Empire with the same zeal I saw you with when I first met you two years ago."

Elias looked away, deep in thought. It was true he did care for Cersei a great deal. It was also true that she could potentially be the cause of his undoing, being as close to him as she was, and especially now she was with child. _His_ child.

He had learned from Lord Vader during his training that Jedi had perceived attachment as a pathway to the Dark Side. Elias used the Dark Side of the Force every day, so he found this teaching a problem. But he now wondered: Could attachment be a weakness of the Dark Side as well? He recalled a story that Vader had told him, of the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Malgus, who had taken a lover of his own, but found himself forced to kill her when he realised she had become a liability. Elias scowled as he wondered: _Could I do the same to Cersei, knowing how much I love her, as well as knowing that my child would perish with her?_ Shaking his head, Elias looked up at Frederick and said: "I'll consider it." With that, he rose from his seat, and left the room.

Once he had left, Frederick made to light a deathstick, before he remembered the presence of another in the room. With a wave of his hand, Frederick said: "You can come out of the shadows now. He's gone."

With that, a figure emerged from the shadows, revealing the complexion of the Third Brother. "Finally." The Third Brother said. "I finally have confirmation of my suspicions."

"As well as a prime opportunity for revenge." Frederick replied, his mouth curling into a sly catlike grin. Which was funny, since he _was_ a cat. _Sorry, Grand Inquisitor,_ he thought. _But even you should know better than to trust me._

* * *

 **Ah, Frederick. There's a reason he's currently the most dangerous person on the Imperial government on Mobius. No-one can trust him, not even Elias, who views the man as a friend.**

 **Small note: I will be taking a few days off from daily updates, as with the onset of school, I will have a fresh lot of homework to be getting on with. Plus, I have almost finished writing the remaining chapters of the story, so I can finish those whilst on said break without worrying about veering away from my current daily schedule. After I've finished the remaining chapters, I will resume my current schedule.**

 **With that now said, thank you all very much for taking the time to read this fanfiction. If you enjoyed it, then please leave a review in the appropriate section, telling me what you enjoyed and what you think I can do to improve my writing. In the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then please favourite and follow this fanfiction, so that you will be informed of any new chapters I upload.**

 **Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you soon (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which sees Roman make his plans known to those that supported him... only to discover that there are some that oppose his plans.**

 **T-Rock 14**


	11. Chapter 11: Black Ops

**Chapter 11: Black Ops**

 _ **Roman and Ashley's house, 18:45 pm…**_

"Roman. They're ready for you."

Roman looked around to see Ashley standing in the doorway, her eyes boring into his. Getting to his feet, Roman walked over, asking: "Who came?"

"Caleb, the clones, Shadow, Rouge, Silver, and Blaze." Ashley replied. "Cream isn't coming because Amy's invited her for dinner."

Roman scoffed. "Sounds like Amy's attempting to smooth things over." He remarked. Nodding, he added: "But at least the majority of them came."

Ashley nodded too. "At least." She said. Looking around, she added: "I've not got a very good feeling about this. Going against Sally's orders… It just feels wrong."

"I never said this would be easy, Ash." Roman replied, taking her hands in his. "But if we're going to rescue Seth before his kid's born, it needs to be done." Pulling her closer, Roman gave Ashley a gentle kiss. "Either way, we have to rescue Seth. With or without the help of the others." With that, he and Ashley came downstairs, finding themselves greeted by a throng of fellow Freedom Fighters: Caleb, Shatter, Tusk, Team Dark, Silver and Blaze.

Tails was also present, leaning against the arch that led into Roman and Ashley's lounge.

Roman stepped in, eyeing everyone thankfully. "Thanks for coming, guys." He said. "Especially on such short notice." Folding his arms, Roman said: "Now you're all probably wondering why you're here, so these are the facts." Sighing, he said: "Shortly after the meeting Sally called earlier today, Sally called me back to the War Room. Said she wanted to smooth things over in terms of what happened yesterday with Seth. So I did. I finally managed to get her to admit that she made the wrong call in leaving Seth behind, which in itself is a plus. So with that behind us, I decided to talk about planning a rescue mission." Roman sighed. "Only for Sally to outright veto the idea."

Gasps of shock and surprise filled the room, as chatter started over the reasons for Sally's decision.

"Sally's reasons are apparently because we _barely_ rescued Caleb, she's reluctant to rescue Seth because he'll supposedly be more heavily guarded then Caleb was."

"I see where she's coming from there, lad." Caleb said. "I'm nobody to the Empire. Seth's a damn Jedi. No wonder she'd think that."

"Be that as it may, I've been on far more risky rescue missions in my lifetime whilst Eggman was first in power. Most of them in order to rescue Sally herself." Roman said.

"Damn. Talk about ungrateful." Shatter remarked.

Roman shrugged. "Other reasons apparently include the security of Ahsoka and her unborn baby. Sally thinks for some reason it's preferable to all of us dying in some bone-headed rescue attempt and leaving Ahsoka with no-one to raise her baby with. Which I'm aware is a valid risk, but honestly, we're the Freedom Fighters. We've done far more risky things. Remember when most of you risked your own lives to come save me and Ashley after Frederick had captured us? That in itself was risky, considering Frederick had his own private army of mercenaries."

Tails nodded. "Had we not done that, neither Roman or Ashley would be alive today." He added.

"And neither will Seth if we don't act soon." Ashley said. "You all know how determined Seth is to at least know his child and make sure his child knows him for who he is. Seth is hell bent on not repeating the mistakes of his father and leaving his child and Ahsoka alone without him there to support them."

"Which is why I called this meeting." Roman said. "Because despite what Sally says about the risks, I intend on going ahead with a rescue mission anyway. And I need your help to do that."

* * *

The silence hanging over the room was palpable, enough that the life imbued in each of the people was almost sucked out.

Finally, Silver spoke. "You can't be serious." He remarked.

"I am, actually." Roman replied.

Shadow chuckled. "Of all the crazy ideas you've come up with in the past, this one takes the cake for being the most balls-out ridiculous. As much as I am up for sticking it to Sonic every now and again, disobeying direct orders from Sally isn't one of the ways I'd like to go about doing that."

Roman shook his head. "Weren't you listening to a word we just said? We have no other option _but_ to disobey Sally's orders. The life of one of the best friends I have in existence is hanging in the balance, as well as the security of Ahsoka and the baby she's having with Seth. Don't tell me you don't care about that."

"As a matter of fact, no." Shadow replied coldly, drawing a gasp of shock from everyone else. "I only stood with you this morning because I agreed that Sally had made a bad decision regarding Seth. I am not about to go against the princess' wishes just because one of her key lieutenants has a death wish!"

Roman folded his arms. "Well in my experience, having a death wish in these situations is better than not having one and pussying out of it." He replied.

Shadow's face darkened as he snarled: "Are you suggesting I'm a coward?"

Roman tensed as he replied: "It certainly looks that way." He walked closer to Shadow and shook his head. "I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. I was expecting the Shadow who'd be more than willing to take a chance to stick it to Sonic, the Shadow who would dare to disobey an order Sally gave, if only to brag to Sonic that he'd had the courage to do it whereas Sonic wouldn't." Pausing a moment, he added: "In that case, I'd best send you on the mission to the ground to find out what the Empire's plans regarding Seth are." Pausing again, Roman then added: "Since you obviously left your balls down there when the Empire took Mobotropolis."

Shadow bared his teeth in an almost feral snarl as he moved to tie up with Roman, but the vulpine Jedi was faster.

Roman's lighsaber was in his hands and ignited before Shadow could take a second step, stopping the obsidian hedgehog in his tracks. "Try me, bitch." Roman said.

* * *

Instantly, Team Dark prepared to attack Roman, but Tails, Ashley and the clones all brandished their weapons, resulting in a tense standoff.

Shadow was quick to realise he and Team Dark were at a numerical disadvantage, before turning to Roman, who frowned.

"It's your call, Shadow." Roman said. "Back down and agree to help, or attack me and get yourself and your team killed because you couldn't stand an insult."

Shadow scowled as he remained where he was, his crimson eyes burning a hole through Roman's face and head like wildfire.

The whole room tensed, with Caleb, Silver and Blaze all eyeing Team Dark and Roman's friends, wondering who would attack first.

"Not backing down would be a _very_ bad idea, Shadow." Roman said, his lightsaber ready to cleave the obsidian hedgehog in two should the latter attack.

Another few tense moments passed, during which the silence itself seemed to fatten itself like leeches feeding on blood.

Finally with an angered growl, Shadow took a step back, motioning for Team Dark to stand down.

Roman nodded with a smile, deactivating his lightsaber and lowering it. "Good call." He said. Hooking his lightsaber onto his belt, he folded his arms as he eyed everyone else. "With that out the way then, who's with me?" He asked.

Another pregnant silence filled the air, the sound that would inevitably break it gestating like an embryo in a mother's womb, preparing to be brought forth like a newborn baby.

Caleb was the first to break said silence, stepping forward as he said: "As harebrained as this idea sounds, I'm in. I owe you, Tails, Ashley, the clones, and Seth for saving my life yesterday. It seems only right that I help you rescue him in return."

Roman nodded his thanks. Looking around, he asked: "Anyone else?"

Shatter and Tusk came forward, their hands raised. "We're both in, General. Seth is just as important a part of our team as you, Miss Ashley, and Commander Prower are. And we owe it to him to rescue him, no matter the risk."

Roman smiled and nodded. "Thanks, guys." Turning to Silver and Blaze, Roman asked: "Either of you in, or are the missions we did whilst I was presumed dead enough for you two?"

Everyone in the room chuckled. They all knew the stories of said missions. According to Roman, they had often ended with him walking in on Silver and Blaze in various states of undress, locked in an erotic position whilst blushing with the immense embarrassment.

Blaze was the first to nod. "I'm in, Roman. As much as I hate to go against a friend like Sally, Seth's my friend as well. Furthermore, he has a child due to be born in a month's time. I'd rather not have denying him a chance to see his child on my conscience."

"Then I'm in as well." Silver said. "It wasn't too long ago that we saved your life, Roman. Figure it's time to save another."

Roman nodded with a smirk. "Just promise you'll both keep your clothes on; _and_ wear protection in the event that you can't."

The group all broke up into raucous laughter, whilst both Silver and Blaze shook their heads in disbelief.

"Told you he'd never let it slide." Blaze muttered to Silver, who face-palmed.

Roman turned now to Shadow and Team Dark, staring at them intently. "What about you three? Are you guys in? Or do I have to ask Sally to change your callsign from Team Dark to Team Yellow because of the yellow streaks down your backs?"

Shadow's nostrils flared at the jab, but folding his arms, he nodded. "We're in. Not because we want to save your friend, but just so like you say, I can tell Sonic that I had the gall to do what he'd not dare to."

Roman nodded. "That's the Shadow _I_ know." He remarked. Smiling, he made to say more when a voice called out:

"Got room for two more?"

Roman turned to face the newcomers, and a wry smile crossed his face.

Standing where he had been standing before the confrontation with Shadow, flanked by Crankshaft, was Ahsoka, looking every bit the picture of health.

* * *

Nodding, Roman said: "The more, the merrier, Ahsoka."

"And the more Imperial blood I spill, the better for my skills." Crankshaft interjected.

Roman blinked. "Geez. Your droid's got issues." He remarked.

Ahsoka shrugged. "Blame Seth. He's the one that reprogrammed Crankshaft."

Roman chuckled, saying: "I'll make sure to tell him when we've saved his ass."

Ahsoka chuckled too before she stepped further into the room, asking: "What do you have in mind?"

Roman smiled and folded his arms, motioning for everyone to take a seat. "Listen close, people." He said. "This will be what we called in the Clone Wars a black operation. Black Ops, if you will."

The entire group nodded, and listened while Roman outlined the rest of his idea. The idea of Black Ops intrigued them very much.

* * *

 **God, this was a pain to write. I had a small case of writer's block for some of it, but I got there in the end.**

 **Anyway, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then leave a review in the appropriate section telling me what you enjoyed and what you think I can do to improve for next time. In the event that you _really_ enjoyed it, then I invite you to favourite and follow this fanfiction, in order to receive updates as to whenever I upload a fresh chapter.**

 **All in all, thank you very much, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which sees Roman's friends embark on a supply run, to disguise their true purpose: To find information pertaining as to the Empire's plans for Seth.**

 **T-Rock14**


	12. Chapter 12: Gathering Intel

**Chapter 12: Gathering Intel**

 _ **Angel Island Hangar, 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **October 3241, 9:30 am…**_

"I still think this is a stupid idea." Shadow remarked as he and Team Dark walked towards the hangar. It was time for the Freedom Fighters' monthly supply run.

"Stupid though it may be, we're in this together now, Shadow." Silver said as he and the self-proclaimed Ultimate Life Form headed towards the Empire's Bane, Blaze, Rouge and E-123 Omega in tow as well. "Besides, it actually isn't, if you think about it. Me and Blaze gather the supplies, while you and Team Dark acquire the intel we need."

"I never said what we're doing _now_ is a bad idea, I'm saying that Roman's entire plan is a bad idea." Shadow protested.

"Regardless, if it means we can rescue Seth and reunite him with Ahsoka, then I'm up for that." Blaze replied. "It's certainly better than the alternative."

They soon reached the hangar, finding Ahsoka waiting for them.

"Morning." The pregnant Togruta said: "Ready to go?"

Shadow frowned. "Why on Earth would you risk discovery by going on this run with us?" He asked.

Ahsoka chuckled. "The whole galaxy thinks I'm dead." She replies. "Who would think otherwise?"

"Um, any keen eyed Imperials." Blaze replied as she came up, standing next to Shadow.

"Well, where _we're_ going, there's only a small Imperial presence." Ahsoka said. "So with luck, no Imperials will show their faces."

"Well, where _are_ we going?" Shadow demanded.

"Spagnonia." Ahsoka replied. "It's got a small Imperial presence, save for a small base, but other than that, we'll be fine."

"Unless the Imperials show up when we're in the process of loading the cargo." Shadow replied, getting a swift slap to the back of the head for his troubles.

"No more of that, Shadow." Blaze replied. "Besides, you and Team Dark have your _own_ mission to be getting on with."

Shadow sighed. "I know that." Shadow growled. Stepping into the hangar, he turned to them and snarled: "Are we going or not?!" Before heading onward into the Empire's Bane.

"Yeesh." Ahsoka exclaimed. "What's his problem?"

"He's still smarting over what happened last night." Rouge replied as she made to follow Shadow. "When Roman forced him to stand down last night, it wounded his pride. He'll be like this for days now."

Ahsoka frowned. "Well, at least he's here and not sulking like a kid." She remarked. Looking around, Ahsoka said: "Well, better get on with the run." With that, she jogged onwards towards the Empire's Bane, with the others in tow.

* * *

 _ **Roman and Ashley's house, a few minutes later…**_

"Roman, Ahsoka just reported in. They're on their way." Ashley said.

Roman nodded. "Thanks, Ash." He replied, adding to his gratitude with a gentle kiss. "Still nervous about what we're doing?"

Ashley nodded. "It still feels strange, going against Sally like this."

Roman nodded. "Same here."

Ashley's eyes narrowed. "You mean you feel the same?"

Roman again nodded. "I've been under Sally's command for a while. And after a while, I've just gotten used to it. The best way I could describe how I'm feeling now is akin to how I felt when I killed my first clone after Order Sixty Six was issued. It just felt wrong then, and it feels wrong now." Looking up at Ashley, Roman added: "But I know that it's the only way I can get through all this with a clear conscience. Because though I did say to Sally yesterday that Seth's blood will be on her hands alone for this, but since yesterday, I've realised that unless I do something, Seth's blood will be on my hands, as well. And I can't bear that to be the case with one of my best friends."

Ashley nodded and lightly wrapped her arms around Roman's neck. "But now you're doing something, it won't be."

"Not me, Ashley. _We."_ Roman replied. _"We're_ doing something about it. I'd rather we did this together instead of just me alone. Because that'd just be selfish."

Ashley smiled and said: "Do you have any idea how corny you're sounding, right now?"

"Quite frankly, I couldn't give a shit." Roman replied. "Because it's true." He added to this with a passionate kiss.

Ashley returned said kiss as hard as she could, before breaking away and embracing Roman. "I love you." She said.

"I love you too." Roman replied.

Breaking the hug, Ashley said: "Even though our rebelling against Sally feels wrong, it's the right thing to do. Sally's not always right, even if she is quite smart."

Roman nodded. "Even the smartest people make mistakes, Ashley. Even people like Sally. I only hope she understands why I had to go against her."

"It's Sally, Roman. She always understands." Ashley said encouragingly.

Roman nodded, before returning to his seat. He had a lot on his mind.

* * *

 _ **Several hours later, Spagonia Spaceport, 13:30 pm…**_

"And we're here." Ahsoka said as she completed the Empire's Bane's landing. Turning to Shadow and Rouge, she said: "You two should get Omega and get on with the mission. Me, Silver and Blaze will handle things here."

"You sure you're going to be alright without us?" Rouge asked.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "I have a homicidal reprogrammed commando droid, a psychokinetic hedgehog, and a pyrokinetic cat with me. You _bet_ I'll be alright."

Rouge nodded before she turned to leave, heading down to the main cargo hold, finding Shadow in the process of reactivating E-123 Omega.

"OMEGA, ACTIVATED. POWER: OPTIMAL." Omega bellowed as he turned to face Shadow, nodding.

Shadow replied with a nod of his own. "Let's go." Shadow said as the ramp lowered. With that, he and the rest of Team Dark jogged down the ramp and off of the Empire's Bane.

Once out, Rouge handed Shadow a comlink. "Ahsoka wants to keep contact in case we need to bug out fast." She said. "Since you're in command, it seems just about right that you're the one with it."

Shadow nodded before he keyed the comm. "Ahsoka, you there?"

"Am now." Ahsoka replied.

Shadow looked about their surroundings before asking: "So where exactly is the Imperial Base?"

"In the centre of the city." Ahsoka replied. "You'll need to find somewhere to hack into the system. Nicole's unfortunately not with us on this one, so you'll need to use your own skills."

"Understood. We'll contact you once we're in." Shadow replied before cutting the connection. Belting the comlink, Shadow turned to Rouge and Omega and nodded. "Get your hood up, Rouge. We'll be easily recognised otherwise."

Rouge nodded and raised the hood on the jacket she was wearing, as did Shadow. Now unless anyone asked them to remove their hoods, they would be incognito. E-123 Omega was not a known threat, and as a result, would not be attacked on sight.

Once their final preparations were done, Shadow gave a curt nod, and the trio set off for the Imperial Base. They had their mission, and they intended to complete it.

* * *

 _ **With Ahsoka, Silver and Blaze, The Empire's Bane…**_

Ahsoka smiled as she saw their usual supply service bringing up their food. "Right on time as usual, Cass." She said as she rose from her chair and headed out towards the cargo hold, calling: "Silver, Blaze, they're here."

Within seconds, Blaze and Silver emerged from one of the bedrooms, their clothes looking as if they had been hastily put back on.

Ahsoka shook her head. "You remind me so much of me and Seth before I got pregnant." She remarked.

Silver and Blaze looked at each other in relief. "We thought you'd just make a joke about it, like Roman does."

"Nope. That's Roman's job." Ahsoka replied. "Anyways, we've got some supplies to pick up." With that, the trio headed down towards the cargo hold, coming down the ramp to see several armed smuggler-type individuals unloading boxes from the landspeeder.

One of them, likely the leader, noticed Ahsoka, Silver and Blaze, and his face morphed into a smile. "Fulcrum!" The leader of the band of smugglers band said. "Glad to see you once again."

"As it is to see you, Cassian." Ahsoka replied. Turning to Silver and Blaze, she said: "This is Cassian Solus. He's an old friend of mine and the Mandalorian from the Clone Wars."

Blaze and Silver nodded. "Pleased to meet you." Blaze said.

"Pleased to meet you as well." Cassian replied with a smile. Turning to his men, Cassian gave an agitated wave. "What am I paying you for? Get this on their ship! They won't liberate Mobius on empty stomachs, you know!"

Ahsoka cracked a grin as they began loading, before turning to Cassian. "I'll ensure the appropriate funds are transferred to your account." She said.

Cassian waved it off. "I am rich already. There's no need to pay me." He said.

"Well, the Princess insists." Ahsoka said. "You already risk your own lives to ensure that the Freedom Fighters remain fed. She feels like it's her duty to repay any debts she may incur."

Cassian rolled his eyes. "Ah, what do I care? More money, I guess." Shrugging, he added: "It's purely a case of what I do with said money."

"Maybe get that woman you've been romancing something nice?" Ahsoka suggested.

Cassian nodded. "That's an option." He said. Seeing that the boxes had been loaded, he gave a wave. "Alas, we must part again. Until next-"

"What's going on here?!"

Ahsoka, Silver and Blaze, tensed, whilst Cassian and his band of smugglers turned around, hands on their blasters.

Approaching the small gathering was a small group of Imperial Stormtroopers, about an entire squad, led by an Imperial Officer.

* * *

A tense silence befell the gathered groups, which only seemed to annoy the Imperial officer.

" _Well?"_ The Officer demanded.

Ahsoka and Cassian's eyes met, and they mentally went over their standard operating procedure if and when this happened.

Looking to the Imperial Officer, Ahsoka said: "Me and these gentlemen were simply going finalising a business deal."

"What type of deal?" the Officer inquired.

"A deal to link up our two teams of mercenaries, Officer." Cassian replied calmly. "We've often been hired to do the same jobs."

The Officer scoffed. "Mercenaries? None of you are sufficiently armed to be mercenaries." Looking to Ahsoka, he remarked: "And you don't seem to be in any condition to be taking mercenary work, alien scum."

Ahsoka felt a pang of anger at the Officer's remark, but forced it down as she replied: "I don't actively fight alongside my two friends here. They just employ me to broker agreements. They're the ones that do all the fighting."

The Imperial Officer smirked. "That still doesn't account for how lightly armed your friends are."

"Trust me." Ahsoka said. "They don't need weapons."

"That's a given." Cassian interjected. "I can vouch for both of my friends here." Cassian looked at his men, and said: "And with regards to us, we pride ourselves on being able to get a job done with as little resources as possible." He looked confident, but in reality, he was growing nervous.

One of his men was beginning to tremble, his hand etching ever closer to their blaster pistol.

The Imperial Officer noticed the trembling man, and cocked his head to one side. "What's wrong with your man there?" He asked.

Cassian looked and shrugged. "He's always nervous when it comes to Imperials. Especially since we had an unfortunate encounter with some overzealous Imperials a few months back."

"What happened?" The Imperial Officer asked.

Cassian made to reply, but his man, having lost all nerve, suddenly drew his blaster, shooting one of the Stormtroopers. Swearing under his breath, Cassian drew his own blaster and took cover, as did the others, as the Imperial Officer and his men doing the same, with the officer clearly calling for backup.

Ahsoka scowled and turned to Blaze and Silver. "Keep Cassian and his men covered. I'll get the Empire's Bane running."

Silver and Blaze nodded and took positions, whilst Ahsoka ran as fast as her swollen womb would allow her into the Empire's Bane. She needed to contact Team Dark, and she needed to do so soon.

* * *

 _ **With Team Dark, Spagonia Imperial Base, at the same time…**_

 _Finally,_ Shadow thought as he and Team Dark finally found a terminal they could hack into. Turning to Rouge, he said: "You're the best at hacking. Get to it."

Rouge nodded and proceeded to begin hacking into the terminal.

Shadow next turned to E-123 Omega, commanding: "Stand guard. If anyone gets too suspicious, you know what to do."

Omega nodded and turned, brandishing his weapons.

Shadow nodded and made to help Rouge when his comlink came alive, with Ahsoka's voice coming through:

"Shadow, it's Ahsoka! How are we doing with finding a terminal?"

"We just found one." Shadow replied. "The rest were heavily guarded."

A sigh could be heard when Ahsoka replied. "Just try and hurry. One of our supplier's men lost his nerve and started attacking an Imperial patrol that came across us as we were finalising things."

Shadow scowled. "We'll be as quick as possible." He said as he cut the connection, turning to Rouge. "Hurry up. Ahsoka and the others are under fire."

"Trying." Rouge said. "It's difficult… But I'm in, and now searching for anything pertaining to Seth's whereabouts."

Shadow nodded and knelt down next to Rouge, helping her look.

After several tense minutes, Rouge finally said: "Found something."

Shadow looked, and smiled. It was a medical report filed by a medical officer in Mobotropolis. The patient was Seth Kerran. "Download it." Shadow said quickly.

Rouge nodded and began the download sequence.

Shadow smiled when he heard Omega bellow:

"IMPERIAL FORCES DETECTED. ENGAGING."

"Omega, no!" Shadow shouted.

Thankfully, Omega obeyed, and held his fire.

Shadow watched as Imperial Stormtroopers filed out of the base and charged off, headed the way from whence Team Dark had come. Turning to Rouge, he saw she was in the process of packing her things. "Everything good?" He asked.

"Download's complete." Rouge replied. "The medical report only takes a little time to download fully."

Shadow nodded. "Then let's move." With that, they all turned and headed back towards the ship. They needed to get away.

* * *

 _ **With the Empire's Bane…**_

Cassian swore as he found his position pelted by Imperial fire. Turning to the man who had fired a shot, he growled: "Wexley, I promise you that when we're finished, this is coming out of your paycheque!"

"Sorry, boss!" Wexley whimpered. "I lost my nerve, that's all!"

"Regardless, I really hope Team Dark gets here soon." Silver muttered as he lifted a large crate and tossed it at several Stormtroopers, who were sent sprawling.

"Team Dark? You mean there were more of you?" Cassian asked.

"Yeah. Team Dark had its own mission, though." Silver replied. "One of our friends was captured, and we're trying to rescue him."

Cassian nodded. "They'll likely be coming through by the Imperial-" He was interrupted as a blaster bolt thundered into his shoulder, sending him back a few metres.

"Cassian!" Silver called out as he ran over to Cassian's side, lifting him via psychokinesis and levitating Cassian behind cover. "Stay there, I'll keep you covered!" Silver shouted as he lifted several objects and tossed them over towards the Imperials, taking out several more Imperials.

Blaze suddenly came to his side, and manifesting fire from her palms, she hurled it out towards the Imperials, catching several and cooking them in their armour. Their agonised screams as they burned to death haunted the air for the next few seconds before their charred, burnt out corpses toppled to the floors.

The Imperial Officer took note of this attack and pointed towards Blaze, calling out: "Focus your fire on those Mobians!"

Imperial fire soon turned almost completely onto Blaze and Silver.

Leaping in front, Silver threw up a psychokinetic shield, keeping himself and Blaze protected from enemy fire.

Only for one of the Imperial Stormtroopers to throw a thermal detonator.

It landed in front of Silver and Blaze, completely within their line of sight.

Temporarily lowering the shield he had erected, Silver just had enough time to shout out: _"GRENADE!"_ Before the thermal detonator exploded, sending both Mobians sprawling.

Blaze got to her feet and saw Silver, her eyes widening. _"SILVER!"_ she shouted, scooting over to where her lover lay, his body pierced with several fragments of shrapnel. Looking up, she saw a Stormtrooper making his approach:

Only for a green blade-like object to burst through his chest, sending him to the floor, his blood already beginning to stain the floor.

In the Stormtrooper's place stood Shadow and the rest of Team Dark, his crimson eyes ablaze with bloodlust.

* * *

Storming over to Blaze, he helped her up before looking at Silver. Scowling, he walked over and picked the grey hedgehog. Turning to Omega, he shouted: "Cover us!"

"AS YOU COMMAND!" Omega bellowed as he unleashed his full firepower upon the Imperial forces, an entire company now under fire.

Shadow carried Silver up the ramp of the Empire's Bane, beckoning Rouge aboard. Looking to Blaze, he saw she was getting Cassian's crew to come with them.

"Come on!" She called.

Maintaining cover fire, they did so, retreating back under cover from Omega, running up the ramp of the Empire's Bane.

Blaze made to follow, but she remembered Cassian, seeing the wounded smuggler now propped up against the crate Silver had set him down behind. Swearing under her breath, she sprinted over, under a hail of Imperial fire, until she was at Cassian's side, holding out her hand. "Come on!" She shouted.

Cassian nodded, and gripped Blaze's arm, hauling himself to his feet.

Placing one of Cassian's arms over her shoulder, she helped him up the ramp of the Empire's Bane, still under cover from Omega, who had fallen back to the ramp as well. Bounding up the ramp, Blaze set Cassian down, just as Omega followed, before keying her comm: "Ahsoka, get us out of here!"

Within a few moments, the Empire's Bane had lifted off and was on its way from Spagonia.

Finally allowing herself to relax, Blaze looked to Shadow, their eyes giving the same message: _That was too close._

* * *

 _ **Later, on the way to Angel Island…**_

Blaze stepped into the cockpit just as Ahsoka had concluded speaking with Sally, whose image disappeared as soon as Blaze appeared.

Turning to Blaze, Ahsoka asked: "Everything alright?"

Blaze nodded. "Cassian and Silver are both okay. I've removed most of the shrapnel from Silver, but there's a few more still in there somewhere. He'll need surgery to remove the rest, then a stint in a bacta tank."

Ahsoka nodded, seeing Blaze's worried expression. "Sit down." She said, making sure her voice brokered no argument.

Blaze reluctantly obliged, as Ahsoka took her hands.

"Silver will be fine, Blaze. It wasn't too long ago that I was once fearing for Seth's life like you're fearing for Silver's." Ahsoka said comfortingly.

Blaze nodded. "It's just… This is the first time that I've ever been close to losing Silver like that."

"It won't be the last, Blaze. Not by a long shot." Ahsoka replied. "But right now, what you need to do is be strong. That's what I had to be when Seth was in a similar state to Silver right now. What I'm saying is that you've got to be as strong as I had to be. For Silver's sake as well as yours."

Blaze sighed before she nodded. "Okay." She replied.

Ahsoka nodded and drew Blaze into her arms, giving Blaze a warm hug.

Being hugged by Ahsoka was a big surprise for Blaze, given that most of the time, Ahsoka was usually a tough as nails, unaffectionate person, unless she was with Seth. Then she could be quite affectionate. It occurred to Blaze that Ahsoka's embrace was almost motherly, which was strange unto itself, especially given that she and Ahsoka were the same age.

Breaking the hug, Ahsoka gave Blaze a warm smile. "Just be strong, Blaze. Besides, your efforts today helped get me closer to getting my boyfriend back. Take heart in that."

Blaze nodded before she hugged Ahsoka again. She was right. Blaze had, in some manner, helped procure information that might just help get Seth back. And that was something Blaze knew she could be proud of.

* * *

 _ **Several Hours Later, Roman and Ashley's House, Angel Island, 17:30 pm…**_

"Two herniated discs in his back, stab wound to the back, heavy blood loss and a broken nose." Roman said as he read through the medical report. With a scoff, he remarked: "Seth always did have a weird knack for breaking his nose." Looking up, he frowned. "It still gives nothing on where Seth is." He added.

"Keep reading." Rouge said, an optimistic smile crossing her face.

Roman raised an eyebrow before he continued reading. "Before I had more time to examine the patient, I was confronted with the Grand Inquisitor, who commanded me to release him and prepare him for transport. When asked, I was met with an angry reply, which had something to do with Lord-"

His breath caught in his throat as he read the next word. Or rather, the name.

"What's wrong?" Ahsoka, asked, moving closer.

Looking up, Roman could see his fear reflected in Ahsoka's eyes. "Vader. They're taking Seth to Darth Vader."

* * *

As the implications of that became very apparent, everyone's eyes widened. It had been Darth Vader that had led the clone assault on the Jedi Temple. It had been Darth Vader that had murdered all the Jedi within the Temple, and it was Darth Vader who now served as the figurehead of the Empire.

"This isn't good." Tails remarked. "It's been several days since Seth was captured. What if-"

"Relax." Roman said. "The report was logged late yesterday afternoon, which means we're still good. Knowing the Grand Inquisitor, he'll be taking Seth to Vader via Star Destroyer. And I have it on good intelligence that Vader has some sort of homestead on Mustafar."

"You're not suggesting we attack _that_ are you?" Ashley said.

Roman shook his head. "No. What I'm suggesting is that we attack the Star Destroyer while it's still in our airspace. It'll take time for all the preparations and arrangements to be made. And knowing Elias, he'll want to take some time before leaving to ensure that everything on the ground is secure."

"Which would mean he'd ask for another Inquisitor to do so. Which would take even more time." Ahsoka replied.

Roman smiled. "Exactly." He replied. "And I know for a fact that there's a Star Destroyer in orbit above Mobius right now. Which gives us the perfect window to plan the mission."

"Depends on whether I allow this to go any further."

Roman turned suddenly, seeing Nicole standing there, her form flickering. "Nicole. What brings you here?"

"Don't be stupid, Roman." Nicole replied. "I know you intend on rescuing Seth. Something I recall Sally giving you _strict_ orders _not_ to do."

"Fuck Sally." Roman replied. "Sally may be smart, but even she's not always right."

"I know that, but orders are orders." Nicole replied. "So I'm going to give you one chance to let this go before I go and tell Sally what you're doing."

Roman smirked. "Go on then. Tell her."

"You're not afraid of the consequences?" Nicole asked.

"No. Because I'm more afraid of what'll happen to Seth if we're sitting on our asses doing nothing." Roman replied.

Nicole was taken aback by Roman's words. She had to admit, Roman did have a point. By giving the orders to prevent a rescue for Seth, Sally had effectively doomed him to a slow and painful death. She gave the matter a little more thought before she nodded. "Okay." She said. Looking up, she smiled. "Count me in."

Roman smiled. "In that case, I'd like a hologram of the Star Destroyer in orbit put up, please. We've got a rescue mission to plan."

* * *

 **Looks like business is about to pick up.**

 **I'm aware that some may say that Nicole is too loyal to Sally to take Roman's side, but think; Nicole is far too logically minded for her not to see Roman's point. She would realise that it's better to try and rescue Seth than do nothing.**

 **With that said, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then leave a review in the appropriate section, and in the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then I invite you to favourite and follow this story in order to be notified as to when I upload a new chapter.**

 **Anyways, thank you again, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which sees further planning on what is to happen to Seth Kerran, and a little bit of side plotting on the part of the Third Brother.**

 **T-Rock14**


	13. Chapter 13: Getting Ready

**Chapter 13: Getting Ready**

 _ **Imperial Castle, Mobotropolis, 21**_ _ **st**_ _ **October 3241, 10:15 pm…**_

"Grand Inquisitor, I just got word that the Star Destroyer escort you requested for your trip to Mustafar has been approved by the Emperor." An aide said as he walked up to Elias. "They'll be here in a matter of days."

"Good." Elias said. "Make sure they come as soon as possible. I would not allow the Freedom Fighters even the _slightest_ opportunity to attempt a rescue."

"Yes, Grand Inquisitor." The aide said before leaving.

Elias nodded before he continued on his way to his scheduled meeting with Governor Tarkin, Admiral Balor, and General Okada. General Okada would be accompanying Elias and Cersei to Mustafar, mainly to provide military assistance in the event of an attack enroute. Elias was not bothered the course of the two years he had known Okada, the general had proven to be a very able one, and had grown more ruthless. He showed respect to the Empire, mainly because it was the regime he served, and served with honour. And Cersei was well, Cersei.

He was driven from thought when he saw the Third Brother waiting for him.

"About time." The Third Brother said. "I was wondering if I would have to go into the meeting alone." His tone sounded as if he would have preferred to do so.

"When and _if_ you become Grand Inquisitor, _then_ you can decide when to arrive for a meeting." Elias replied, shoving past the Third Brother. "And by my count, we're early by about fifteen minutes. Plenty of time to arrive and get ready."

The Third Brother scoffed. "Well regardless, for the record, I _still_ think we should be the ones interrogating the Jedi, _not_ Lord Vader."

Elias whipped around and pinned the Third Brother to the wall, his mask barely hiding his anger. "Lord Vader is our master!" Elias snarled. "Try to consider that the next time you speak of disobeying him!"

The Third Brother smirked. "I care not for who he is to you. If I die, the Empire would lose Shili."

Elias smirked. "And then the Empire would take it back, kill _everyone_ you know and love, and ensure that no other planet dares secede from the Empire." Releasing the Third Brother, Elias said: "Try and consider _that,_ the next time you're feeling arrogant enough to challenge a command of Lord Vader's." With that, Elias swept into the meeting room.

The Third Brother scowled, folding his arms. "You may think you have the upper hand, _Grand_ Inquisitor." He said under his breath. "But you have no idea of who you are messing with." At this, the Third Brother followed Elias into the meeting room, muttering oaths of revenge under his breath.

* * *

 _ **Inside the meeting room, 10:30 pm…**_

Elias still felt weird seeing Governor Tarkin sitting where Dr Eggman had sat during their meetings. He was accustomed to seeing the Doctor's massive, overweight carcass accompanying the seat Tarkin was sitting on now, not the thin, precise features of Governor Wilhuff Tarkin.

Admiral Balor was sitting to Tarkin's right, and General Okada to the Governor's left. Neither were smiling.

On his side of the table, Elias had Frederick the Cat, and the Third Brother, the former on his right, the latter on his left.

An observer could possibly say that the two sides looked more like two factions in a war meeting for peace negotiations rather than a full war council, which it was.

Finally, Tarkin stood up, hands firmly clasped behind his back. "Gentlemen, we are at a pivotal point in this war with the dissidents on this planet. We lost the chance to make an example of one of them, but managed to capture another, whom Lord Vader has personally requested to be delivered to him. A duty our two friends from the Imperial Inquisition have committed to. General Okada and Colonel Aryn will be accompanying them, the latter of whom could not be with us, as she is currently making preparations to leave already."

 _Good, Cersei, Good,_ Elias thought. He had instructed Cersei to use that lie to mask why she had been missing meetings: Severe morning sickness, a common symptom of early stage pregnancy, something she had done well to mask.

"I still maintain that we should be the ones interrogating the Jedi." The Third Brother said. "He simply _isn't_ Lord Vader's problem."

"Yet Lord Vader has specifically requested him." Frederick interjected. "With men like Vader, we must always honour their wishes."

"Quite right, Frederick." Tarkin said. "Lord Vader has never been the most patient of people."

"In other words, keep those opinions to yourself." Elias said, giving the Third Brother a harsh look. "If you actually have anything useful to contribute, then you are welcome to share. If not, then be quiet."

The Third Brother scowled and sat back, folding his arms.

Elias turned to General Okada. "General, has your aide provided you with more details of our security detail for the journey?"

The General nodded. "Two Star Destroyers, each with a full detail of Stormtroopers, as well as fully armed and operational."

"Excellent." Elias said. "When will they be here?"

"Ten days hence." Okada said. "It will take time to gather the necessary crew as well."

Elias nodded. "Very well." He remarked. Sitting forward, Elias tented his hands. "Will that be all, gentlemen? Preparations have to be made on this end of the galaxy as well."

Tarkin nodded. "That is all, gentlemen." He said, before turning and leaving the room.

Rising to his feet, Elias said: "Okada, Frederick; with me. I would have words." With this, Elias turned and left the room himself, with his two companions in tow.

* * *

 _ **Outside the Meeting Room…**_

"Frederick, we'll need your men on board with us to ensure complete safety." Elias said as they walked along.

"What, Argo and Alec both?" Frederick asked.

"Yes." Elias replied. "I'd prefer they were the ones guarding the prisoner, not an ordinary Stormtrooper detail. Stormtroopers are prone to incompetence, your men are not."

Frederick nodded. "Very well."

"Are you doubting the capabilities of my men, Grand Inquisitor?" Okada asked.

"No." Elias replied. "I am purely saying that they can be incompetent. I never said they _were_ incompetent."

Placated, General Okada resumed walking with them.

Turning next to Frederick again, Elias stopped. "Gather Argo and Alec together. I would instruct them personally on what is to happen should something like a rescue happen."

Frederick nodded and said: "Consider it done." Before turning and walking away.

Elias turned now to Okada, to make conversation, but they were interrupted by Cersei.

"Colonel. I thought you were preparing to leave." The Colonel asked.

"I was, but that's finished now." Cersei replied. "Now all that's left to do is wait for the security detail to arrive. Then we can finally deliver the Jedi to Lord Vader."

"Yes, finally." Okada said. Turning to Elias, he said: "I'll take my leave now, Grand Inquisitor." With that, Okada too turned and left, leaving Elias and Cersei alone.

Turning to Cersei, Elias said: "My room. Now."

* * *

 _ **Elias' quarters, 10:45 am…**_

"Your lie worked." Elias remarked as he sat down in his desk chair.

Cersei nodded. "I thought it would. I'll have to come up with a different one tomorrow, to avoid anyone growing suspicious."

"The best lies always have a hint of truth to them." Elias replied. "Next time, I suggest you say that you're ill. Say a bad cold, or something of that kind."

Cersei nodded before turning around. "I'm still worried." She said. "About everything: The baby, the constant lying. It feels wrong."

Elias listened intently before he recognised her back was turned. Frederick's advice again replayed in his head:

 _I know you care for the Colonel deeply, but your love for her will only weaken your resolve. By killing her, and the child you know she carries, you restore the strength of your resolve, and ensure you continue the work you've done for the Empire with the same zeal I saw you with when I first met you two years ago._ Frederick had said.

Elias stood up, his hand reaching towards his lightsaber, mentally preparing himself for the blow that would rob him of the woman he loved, and the mother of his-

He shoved that thought aside, finding his resolve. The woman in front of him was nothing but a liability. The unborn child also. Both would merely weaken his resolve and dim his loyalty to the Empire.

His hand found his lightsaber hilt, and he made to unhook it, when Cersei suddenly turned.

"Elias, are you alright?" Cersei asked.

Elias folded his arms. "I'm fine." He replied. "I share those concerns also. But don't be worried. Remember what we agreed to do."

Cersei nodded. "Once our mission to Mustafar is over, I ask for leave, and use the time to see my family. Once the baby's born, I leave it with them and I return to duty."

"Exactly." Elias said, holding her by the shoulders. "Everything will be alright in the end, Cersei. All we need to do is be prepared for it."

Cersei nodded before kissing Elias, as she had done in the past.

Elias returned the kiss with all he had, before suddenly breaking it and pushing Cersei down onto his bed hard.

"What are you doing?" Cersei asked.

"You've got the rest of the day off, so what's the bother?" Elias asked as he leaned down.

Only the morning sun shining through the window could capture what the couple were doing, their erotic shadows dancing against the wall.

* * *

 _ **Outside Elias' room…**_

 _Pitiful,_ The Third Brother thought as he arose from his position outside the Grand Inquisitor's quarters. He had stealthily followed the Grand Inquisitor there once he had spotted him walking there with Colonel Aryn, his lover and the mother of his child.

And as the Third Brother suspected, they were now fornicating.

Walking down the corridor, he shook his head in disbelief. Why would anyone bother settling down with just one woman, when you could have many? That had been the case on Shili, as the Third Brother's family had many slave girls, mostly used for pleasure.

Putting this thought aside though, the Third Brother thought on how he could best take his revenge on the Grand Inquisitor. He was already planning to kill the Colonel, but the Third Brother wondered what else to do beforehand.

Then it hit him: An idea so good it made the Third Brother suppress a giggle. All he needed was a sharp knife. A very sharp knife.

With this and other dark thoughts on his mind, he decided to head to the castle armoury, to find what he needed there.

* * *

 **Classic Galactic Empire: Constant attempts by others to advance themselves for their own gain, as well as revenge for past wrongdoings.**

 **Sorry for the delay in updating. My evening was filled completely by watching the Royal Rumble on the WWE Network. Pretty good show overall, but it could have been better.**

 **My thoughts on the beginning of the Road to Wrestlemania aside, thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then leave a review in the appropriate section, and tell me what you enjoyed and what you think I can do to improve. In the event that you really enjoyed it, then please favourite and follow this story, so you will be updated whenever I upload a new chapter.**

 **Again, thank you, and I will see you with the next chapter (Coming up straight after this one), which sees Roman and his compatriots make plans for Seth's rescue.**

 **T-Rock14**


	14. Chapter 14: Ten Days

**Chapter 14: Ten Days**

 _ **Tyler and Ashley's House, Angel Island Village, 11:15 am**_

"Ten days, huh?" Roman asked as he sat back in his chair.

"That's right." Nicole said. "Elias will be leaving the planet with Seth in ten days, once his security detail arrives."

Roman smiled. Ten days was the perfect amount of time to plan a rescue mission. They had already finalised the plan to get onto the Star Destroyer, which would require Ahsoka's friend Cassian and his band disgusing themselves as an Imperial Officer and several Stormtroopers. That and procuring an Imperial transport shuttle, which Ahsoka would be piloting to the Star Destroyer, and where she would wait while the others rescued Seth.

Nodding, Roman said: "Good to know. Send a message to the others, tell them to meet me here. I'd rather get the plan sorted in advance rather and use all the ten days. What we've been doing for the past few already aroused your suspicion."

"I know." Nicole said. "But it's not to worry. I've been telling Sally that you've simply needed the support because of losing Seth. That and you want to give Ahsoka a shoulder to cry on."

"Good." Roman replied. "Gather the others anyway. Today, we're gonna plan the actual mission and the exfil."

"Will do." Nicole said as she disappeared.

Roman smiled and allowed himself to relax. With Nicole on board, the previous day and today had been a breeze, with the planning going as planned.

He was drawn from thought as he saw Ashley coming down the stairs. "Everything alright?" He asked.

Ashley nodded. "I'm just worried about Ahsoka, Roman."

"How come?" Roman asked.

"I'm worried because… She's so close." Ashley replied. "Any day now, she could go into labour and give birth. What if she gives birth whilst on the mission?"

Roman scowled. Ashley raised a good point. Ahsoka was very close to being due. And there was also the thought that Ahsoka would give birth earlier than expected. If that were to happen during the mission, it would complicate matters to no end. Sighing, Roman said: "Then someone's gonna have to stay on the ship with her in case that happens."

Ashley nodded. "Blaze and Silver?" She asked.

Roman nodded. "And Shatter and Tusk. And Crankshaft. We'll need all the help possible to make sure that Ahsoka is as protected as possible. I'll manage with Tails, Shadow, Rouge, yourself, and Cassian and his ilk." Roman replied.

Ashley smiled. "Like you always do." She said.

"Like I always do." Roman replied, sharing a passionate kiss with Ashley before saying: "Come on. We'd best get ready for the others."

* * *

 _ **Later, 11:30 am…**_

"Sounds risky." Cassian remarked as he heard Roman's plan for the rescue mission.

"Risky, but possible." Roman replied. He'd just proposed that once they had flown onto the Star Destroyer, Roman would head out with a group consisting of himself, Ashley, Tails, Shadow, Rouge, Omega and Cassian and his men, the lattermost disguised as an Imperial Officer and Stormtroopers respectively.

Roman and his group would then separate from Cassian and his team, and the latter would create a distraction whilst Roman and his team went for Seth.

Meanwhile, Silver, Blaze, the clones and Crankshaft would stay with Ahsoka in the shuttle, just in case she went into labour, in which case, the clones, Crankshaft and Silver would stand guard while Blaze helped Ahsoka deliver the baby.

"What about once you find Seth?" Ahsoka asked.

"Then we'll head back to you and the others." Roman replied. "And then hold out until Cassian and his team get back. And then, we'll finally get out of there, with Seth and Ahsoka reunited, and if that's the case, their new baby son or daughter."

Ahsoka smiled. "Sounds like a plan." She remarked, before adding: "What about Elias and the other Inquisitor?"

Roman sighed. "Seth will likely not be in any condition to fight, so I'll deal with them whilst Tails escapes with Seth."

Tails shook his head. "Fuck that." Tails said. "We face them together."

Roman sighed. "Someone needs to get Seth out of there." Roman said. "And I'd prefer for that someone to be you."

Tails scowled. "Fine." He replied. "But you'll owe me."

"I know." Roman replied. "But you know as well as I do that I always pay my debts. One way or another."

Tails nodded.

Turning to the others, Roman asked: "Any questions?"

"Yes." Shadow called out, pointing at Ashley. "What if her father's there?"

The entire room tensed. Everyone in the room was well aware of whom Ashley's father was: Frederick the Cat, former underworld crime boss turned Imperial Security Bureau Agent. Currently the most dangerous person in the Imperial Government on Mobius. It was very possible that he would also be around there somewhere.

"Then I'll deal with him." Said a voice, breaking the tense silence.

Roman turned to the speaker: Ashley herself.

"Are you sure?" Roman asked. "Because I could easily-"

"It's my fight, Roman." Ashley interrupted. "I started this when I ran away from home when I was sixteen. He took it to us two and a half years ago and nearly killed us both. Now, it's time I finished it. Just me and him."

Roman nodded and patted Ashley on the shoulder. "Well, if you're sure about it." Roman said. "Then I'm not gonna stop you."

"A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do." Ahsoka replied, smiling supportively.

Ashley smiled. "Thanks." She said.

Turning back to the others, Roman asked: "Any more?"

"How are we going to slip away unnoticed?" Rouge asked. "It's not as if we can just fly out and Sally won't bat an eye."

Roman nodded. "Nicole, if you would be so kind."

Nicole came forward, replying: "Imperial chatter says that Elias will depart with Seth at midnight. Everyone here will likely be asleep by then, so that'll be when you leave as well. The Star Destroyer they will be taking will leave several hours later at four a.m. So that's the time span you'll have to acquire your Imperial uniforms and whatever else you need to do."

"Perfect." Cassian remarked. "Although we could just acquire the uniforms before then."

"Too risky." Roman said. "We'll need to go somewhere close, one with a significant enemy presence on the day itself. We'll have to do both: Find the uniforms we need, and find a cargo shuttle we can use to get in."

"Which in itself will be risky." Shatter remarked.

"Tell me about it." Tusk added.

Roman nodded. "Risky, I know. But just remember why you're doing this. Remember who you're doing this for. My best friend needs your help. Not just mine, Ahsoka's, or Tails, _your_ help. Me, Ahsoka, Tails and the clones won't be able to rescue Seth on our own. That's where you all come in."

Everyone nodded.

Roman smiled. "Ten days, people. _Ten_ days to rest easy, and not worry. But in ten days, Operation: Prison Break is a go." Roman eyed all of them. "You know what needs to be done. We do it, and we'll prove Sally and people that didn't think we'd be able to do it wrong." Roman nodded, his arms folded. "Dismissed."

Everyone obliged, leaving Roman and Ashley alone.

Save for Tails.

* * *

"What's up, Tails?" Roman asked.

Tails waited to see everyone off, before turning. "I've got a really bad feeling about this." He said.

"Don't we all?" Roman said as he sat down.

"Yeah." Tails said. "But last night, I had a dream that amplified my bad feeling." He said.

Roman sat forward, his eyes intent. "What happened?" He asked.

Tails shook his head. "It was just of all of us. You, me, Ashley, Ahsoka, Seth, everybody. We were all…"

"Dead?" Roman asked.

Tails nodded. "And all I could hear was just this… this really deep, heavy breathing. Like this:" He proceeded to make his best impression of the noise, a noise Roman recognised.

"Vader." Roman said.

Tails nodded. "And it got me thinking. I didn't want to ask in front of everyone else, but… what if Vader's there when we are?"

Roman frowned. Tails' fears were well warranted. They were headed to Mustafar of all places, somewhere where it was heavily rumoured that Vader had his lair. If Vader _was_ on the Star Destroyer…

Roman shook his head. "I doubt Vader will be there. Unless we reach Mustafar before we complete the mission."

Tails sighed. "I hope you're right, Roman. Because… it's Vader. A full-fledged Sith Lord. I've only fought Inquisitors. But never a Sith."

Roman frowned and placed his hand on Tails' shoulder. "If that's the case, then I'll hold him off while you escape with the others. At least I'm confident that I'm powerful enough to do that." Shaking his head, he said: "But try not to think about it. The less you think about it, the less worried we'll be if it comes to it."

Tails reluctantly nodded. "Okay." He replied.

Roman nodded and said: "Like I said to the others: Spend the next ten days resting easy. You'll need the energy come game time."

Tails nodded and got up, walking out of the house.

Roman watched him go before turning to Ashley who had that worried frown on her face.

"What if he's right, Roman? What if Vader _is_ on the ship?" Ashley asked. Shaking her head, she said: "With what Tails said, I can't help but think about what happened over that bridge two years ago."

Roman frowned. Ashley was of course talking about the day Elias had nearly killed him, and rendered him unable to reveal himself for two years, during which he was presumed dead. Taking Ashley in his arms, Roman said. "Then what happens, happens. No need to worry about it now." He punctuated this with another gentle kiss.

Ashley returned the kiss with as much passion as she could before breaking it and embracing Roman. She prayed to whatever deity she could think of that in ten days' time, things would go well. Because right now, she had a very bad feeling they wouldn't.

* * *

 **You got to love a little bit of doubt. Will Vader be there? Or will he not be there? Find out as you read on.**

 **With that said, again, thanks for reading. Since I'm uploading two chapters tonight, I'd rather not repeat myself. That aside, I shall see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which sees Sally begin to grow suspicious of Roman's activities.**

 **T-Rock14**


	15. Chapter 15: Mounting Suspicion

**Chapter 15: Mounting Suspicion**

 _ **The Next Day, Sonic and Sally's House, 22**_ _ **nd**_ _ **October 3241, 9:30 am…**_

Sonic's eyes slowly opened to the feeling of something caressing his shoulder.

Or someone, rather.

"Morning, Sonic." Sally said gently, smiling warmly. She was still in bed with him, garbed in just a black vest and her panties. Her hair was also all over the place, a common happening when it came to sleep.

Sonic smiled as he sat up a little and kissed his wife of two years gently on the lips, breaking the kiss as he once again stared into the sapphire coloured eyes of the only woman he had ever truly loved, the person he had given everything for, including his life. "Morning to you too, Sal. Sleep well?"

Sally nodded. "Better than I've slept for the past few days." She replied with a sigh. "I'm just wondering if Roman's gonna have another of those meetings he's been having lately."

Sonic shrugged. "You honestly can't blame him, Sally. This is his best friend we're talking about. I don't envy him for it. If I lost Tails… then I'd be the same way."

Sally nodded, but frowned. Sonic had tried to smooth it over, but she knew that the reason she wasn't invited was because Roman blamed her for what happened to Seth. The last words he had spoken to her before leaving the war room a few days ago echoed in her mind:

 _Seth's blood is on your hands. Not mine._

It was. She was the one that had given the order to leave, when she clearly could have ordered them to remain where they were until Seth had been extracted. Shaking her head, she sat up, deep in thought. It was in the past now. Hopefully, Roman would recover from it like he had the losses of Roth and other people he cared about, and continue to be one of her chief lieutenants.

She was brought from this line of thought when Sonic's hand found her shoulder.

"You alright?" Sonic asked.

Sally shook her head. "Do you think that… Roman's going to hate me for this?" She asked. "Leaving Seth behind, I mean."

Sonic sighed. "Don't worry about it, Sally." He said. "We both know Roman will get over it. He's done so in the past."

Sally sighed. "I don't know, Sonic. Maybe… maybe this is the time we're not so lucky."

Sonic turned her to face him and said: "Sally, relax. You and Roman are equally as good friends as Seth was with Roman. He'll forgive you. I know it."

Sally sighed and said: "I'm going for a shower." Before getting out of bed and heading to the shower, thoughts heavy on her mind.

* * *

 _ **Later, 11:00 am…**_

It wasn't long before Sally spotted Roman, lounging about on a park bench watching the children play. She wondered if he was imagining Seth's son or daughter playing alongside those children, minus their father. Shaking that thought from mind, Sally walked up and placed a hand on Roman's shoulder. "Roman?" She asked.

Roman looked up, and raised an eyebrow. "What're you doing here?" He asked. Looking down at her belly, he smirked. "Hiding something?" He asked.

Sally blushed. "No." Sally said with a laugh. "Wouldn't you sense if I was… that?"

Roman shrugged. "Maybe I'm not focusing." He replied.

Sally smiled and said: "Can I sit down?"

Roman moved. "Sure."

Sally did so, looking at Roman. "Are you still angry?" She asked.

Roman frowned. "Yeah." Roman said. "But it isn't like I can do anything about it. Orders are orders. I'll just focus this anger into caving Elias' face in next time I see him."

"Ditto." Sally replied. "But why this sudden 'orders are orders' shtick? The Roman I knew would do anything to help a friend, regardless of orders."

"Yeah." Roman replied. "But the Roman you knew was a Jedi Knight, with an entire clone army at his beck and call. Now I'm just a Freedom Fighter who just used to be a Jedi."

Sally frowned before she sat back. "Are you thinking… of what it'll be like to see Seth's son or daughter running around here, without their father looking over them?"

Roman scowled. "I'd rather we not talk about Seth." He replied. "He's gone, and that's all there is to it. At least until the baby's born, that is."

Sally nodded. "Are you and Ashley considering it yet?"

"Are you?" Roman replied.

Sally frowned. "Not until we've sent the Empire off of Mobius." She said. "Any child of mine and Sonic's would instantly be a target."

"Mine and Ashley's too." Roman replied. "So until I'm certain that it's safe, I'm not up for trying."

Sally nodded. "Fair enough."

"But either way." Roman said, getting up. "At least you and I both have things to look forward to. Me in particular."

Sally perked up. "How come?" She asked.

"Uh, you know." Roman said. "This and that. Seth and Ahsoka's baby, and the next chance I get to cave in Elias' face." With that, Roman turned and walked away, leaving Sally alone on the park bench.

Sally frowned. While she had enjoyed the conversation with Roman, it being the first one they'd had since their bust up over whether to rescue Seth or not, one of the last things Roman had said to her, about him having something in particular to look forward to.

Her mind began working, and in the process, she wondered: What if Roman had been lying about not going after Seth?

* * *

 _ **Later, Sonic and Sally's house, 12:30 pm…**_

"See, I told you Roman would get over it." Sonic said as he chowed down on a chili dog. "Anything you talked about in particular?"

"Well, we skimmed over the 'elephant in the room', so to speak, and conversation shifted to… whether we were going to have kids."

Sonic stopped eating, his eyes showing his interest. "And?" He asked.

Sally shook her head. "I said not until the Empire's been driven off of Mobius. Our son or daughter would only become a target."

Sonic shrugged. "I agree." He replied.

"You do?" Sally said, almost happy.

Sonic nodded. "As much as the prospect of being a dad appeals to me, I'd rather not have to live in fear of my kid being a target for assassination. I'd rather the whole Empire was eliminated before we had kids."

Sally nodded, but frowned. "There was something else." She said.

Sonic's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Sally sat forward. "I think Roman's planning on disobeying my orders and is going to try to rescue Seth anyway."

Sonic almost burst out laughing. "Seriously? What gave you that idea?"

"Something he said during our conversation." Sally said. "He said something about both of us having something to look forward to. Him in particular."

"He could just be talking about Ahsoka giving birth." Sonic said. "He must have said that as well."

Sally nodded. "He did, but now that I think about it, I'm not so sure."

Sonic reached over and placed a hand on Sally's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about it, Sal." Sonic replied. "Roman may be a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. He's not dumb enough to go on a potentially suicide mission just to rescue one person. Even if said person was your best friend."

"Wouldn't you do the same if it was Tails in Seth's predicament?" Sally asked.

Sonic was silent.

* * *

 _ **Roman and Ashley's House…**_

"You think Sally's on to us?" Roman asked.

"It's only a suspicion, but I have a bad feeling she'll catch on before long." Nicole replied. "Do you want me to notify the others? Make sure they know?"

Roman nodded. "Do it, Nicole. Better to be safe than sorry." Roman replied.

Nicole nodded and disappeared.

Roman frowned and said: "It must've been when I said I had something in particular to look forward to. I literally meant Ahsoka's baby, but she must have taken it a different way."

Ashley nodded. "We'll have to be careful from now on." She said. "Only individual meetings with people. Just to be safe."

Roman nodded. "Agreed." He replied. Smiling, he said: "But, there was a more light-hearted subject of conversation."

Ashley leaned forward. "Which was?"

Roman smirked. "Kids."

Ashley looked confused. "Are you telling me Sally's-"

"Nope." Roman replied, with that same expression he made whenever saying that exact word, which made Ashley laugh. "But we did start talking. About when we might start trying for one."

A coy smile crossed Ashley's face as she leaned in further, asking sultrily: "And?"

"We both said we wouldn't try until we could be sure the children would be safe." Roman replied. "I'd rather not raise a kid when there's a constant threat of them dying."

Ashley's face fell as she said: "Oh." She said, sounding a little downcast. "Okay."

Roman caught on. "Were you wanting to?" He asked.

Ashley nodded. "I'm at the stage where I really want a child." She replied. "We'll both be twenty-one soon and… It just feels right."

Roman nodded before kissing her passionately. "I get how you're feeling, Ash." He replied. His tone went husky as he added: "It doesn't mean we can't practise, though."

Ashley's eyes widened as she realised what he was proposing. Suddenly leaping off of the chair, she wrapped herself around Roman, her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist. All while kissing Roman as passionately as she could.

The force pushed Roman away a little, but he managed to recover, finally pinning Ashley down on the couch.

Ashley kissed Roman again and replied: "Don't you even dare stop."

Roman smirked. He didn't.

* * *

 **And I need not say any more about what else happened.**

 **This was easy to write, mainly because I used some material from earlier fanfics to help me write this chapter. From there, it was fairly easy.**

 **Regardless, thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please, leave a review in the appropriate section telling me what it was that you enjoyed and what you think I could have done better. In the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then I invite you to favourite and follow this story, so that you will be notified whenever I upload a new chapter.**

 **Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you next chapter, where Elias speaks with Seth for the first time, with horrific consequences for Colonel Aryn.**

 **T-Rock14**


	16. Chapter 16: Impatience

**Chapter 16: Impatience**

 _ **Elias' Quarters, Imperial Castle, 30**_ _ **th**_ _ **October 3241, 10:30 am…**_

Elias was growing impatient.

Not that that wasn't a common occurrence when Elias was forced to wait long periods of time for something. With Elias, his patience normally lasted around five or so days before he started to get impatient. Only problem was, it had been _nine_ days. Nine days he had waited for his escort to arrive. And it would be yet _another_ day until he could finally deliver Seth Kerran to Lord Vader, and assist Vader in his plans for the Jedi. If Vader allowed him to do so.

Regardless, to say Elias was more impatient than he had ever been would be a severe understatement. Sleep had deserted him, as had any form of rest or recuperation. As a result, he had started becoming very angry as of late, lashing out at anyone who asked him a question. He wore his mask constantly, so that anyone he did this to would not see his bloodshot eyes and tired face. He relied on food and drink for sustenance, the same with the Force. The only thing he did not have control over now was his impatience. If he had any weaknesses other than that of his love for Colonel Aryn, it would be his impatience. The Emperor and Lord Vader had been quick to state as such during their training of him, in the lower levels of the Imperial Palace, long torturous hours of physical exertion and torture, mental degradation, and the insane fear of failure that his training had left him with.

Rising from his chair, he began to pace the room, his eyes looking agitatedly to every nook and cranny in the room, looking for something to take out his impatience on. But he found nothing. All he had to do was simply sit around, and procrastinate. Something Elias had never been very good at. He only had a sense of things he _needed_ to do. Not things he could simply do as a means of enjoying himself. His status as the Grand Inquisitor left little time for such things. Save for time with the colonel. But Elias didn't want that. Such a thing would only weaken him, and prevent him from doing what he knew needed to be done to make him stronger, which was kill the colonel, and the child she carried. He refused to think of it as his. He simply couldn't afford to. It was only tonight that he would lay with her. He would have sex with her and fuck her one more time before he did the deed. And then he would emerge from this test stronger than he had been before, knowing that he could continue his duties without another problem.

Finally, an idea came into his impatience-ridden mind: The Jedi. He had yet to engage in a serious one-to-one conversation with Seth Kerran ever since coming across Seth several months before. Nodding, he took his helmet from its place on his dresser, and placed it over his head, stepping out of his quarters and onward towards the prison block, where they were temporarily keeping the Jedi.

* * *

 _ **Imperial Castle Prison Block, Cell 627, 10:45 am…**_

"I was wondering when you'd show up to say hi." The voice called out as Elias came in.

"I merely came to pass the time, Seth." Elias replied. "It gets rather dull when you're waiting for something to come after a while."

"I can imagine." Seth said, standing up from his bunk and walking towards Elias. His face was hidden by an ancient Sith torture mask that Elias had placed over Seth's head, an ornament that prevented Seth from concentrating hard enough to use the Force to escape. As a result, his voice was muffled slightly.

"I have a feeling your back injuries have healed." Elias remarked.

Seth shrugged. "This fucking mask you shoved over my head keeps me from concentrating enough to use my Force powers to escape, but not enough to stop me from healing."

Elias smirked beneath his mask. "Enjoy your clean bill of health while it lasts. For once you are in the clutches of Lord Vader, it won't be something you have ever again."

"I could say the same for you." Seth replied. "For when Roman comes to kick your ass."

Elias laughed. "It's been days since we captured you. Don't you think your friends would have attempted a rescue by now?"

"No." Seth replied. "Because unlike you, my friends are smart. They'll take time to actually plan my rescue, instead of just doing it."

"Even so, they will fail." Elias said with a smile. "No-one is stupid enough to try and attack three Star Destroyers alone. Not even your friends."

"You don't know Roman like I do, _Elias."_ Seth replied.

Elias stiffened at the invocation of his name in front of the Imperials, but he folded his arms. "Don't I?" He asked. "And it's 'Grand Inquisitor' to you, Jedi."

"No." Seth replied. "You may be that to the Empire, but to those you turned your back on and betrayed, you'll always be-" Seth was silenced by a firm punch to the face, which knocked him to the floor.

"They turned _their_ backs on _me!"_ Elias snarled. _"They betrayed me!"_ Elias calmed down and said: "I was their leader. Their knight in shining armour. But instead of hailing _me_ as their hero, they acclaimed those which you now know as the Freedom Fighters. Your so-called best friend Roman the Fox among them."

Seth shrugged. "Maybe if you weren't such an arrogant, self-serving prick, that might have not been the case." Seth replied.

Elias _very_ nearly drew his lightsaber then and there, his face a snarl as he reached towards it in an effort to end Seth's life. But remembering Vader's wishes, he withdrew his hand.

"You're scared."

Elias looked up at Seth, whose head was now cocked to one side in curiosity. "What did you say?" Elias demanded.

"I said you're scared." Seth replied. "So scared of what Vader would do to you if you delivered me to him dead instead of alive, that you don't have the balls to do it anyway. If you're such a courageous individual, then _do it._ I've made my peace."

Elias scowled, but did nothing, merely turning and walking away, muttering oaths under his breath.

* * *

 _ **Later, Elias' Quarters, 11:10 am…**_

Cersei could hear the shouting from where she was standing.

She had been walking towards Elias' quarters when she had heard the shouting start, accompanied by the sounds of a lightsaber gouging into the walls. She had stopped in her tracks, and since then had been waiting patiently for five long minutes until the fury finally ceased. Waiting a few seconds to make sure everything would not start up again, Cersei walked the next few paces to the door into Elias' quarters, opening the door, and gasping at what she saw.

Elias' room was nothing short of a mess, with lightsaber marks crisscrossing the walls in an almost macabre version of noughts and crosses, the curtains cut into pieces, and Elias' desk in ruins as well. Surprisingly, in his rage-fuelled tantrum, Elias had left the bed intact. Likely because he still needed to sleep in it.

Speaking of Elias, the Grand Inquisitor stood alone in the ruins of his personal quarters, his lightsaber still activated in his hand, but not held in an aggressive manner. Instead, it was simply just in his hand, the tip pointed towards the ground.

Closing the door, Cersei asked: "Elias?"

Elias turned, and Cersei felt a brief flash of fear as she saw the glimmer of fury in his eyes. But that quickly dissipated as Elias merely deactivated his lightsaber and hooked it on to his belt, still eyeing her.

Moving closer, Cersei asked: "Elias, what's wrong?"

Elias said nothing, merely removed his helmet and tossed it aside, creating a large dent in the wall. Finally, in a voice that barely masked his anger, he growled: "On the bed. _Now."_

Cersei's eyes widened. "Elias, I'm on duty, I can't-"

"I said _now!"_ Elias snarled, storming over, grabbing her by the collar and effectively tossing her onto the bed, where he proceeded to nearly completely tear her uniform off of her body, as well as his own before he took her, harder than he ever had before.

Cersei's eyes shut against tears in pain, but she knew there was nothing she could do.

* * *

 _ **Later that day…**_

Cersei was sure she had miscarried.

Sitting up in bed, she placed her head in her hands. The pain in the lower regions of her body had not completely subsided from the sheer fierceness with which Elias had had his way with her, and she couldn't tell whether the wetness which she felt below was Elias' seed or her own blood, shed in the violence with which he had taken her, which may or may not have caused her to lose the baby.

Elias himself was asleep, having exhausted himself in his fucking of her, his gentle snores a far cry from the enraged grunts that he had been making when he fucked her.

Cersei knew she had to make sure for herself. Reaching below the sheets, she winced as she touched the area, the tissue still painfully sensitive from his vehement taking of her. Yet still she felt, until her fingers touched something wet. Rubbing her finger into it, she brought her hand from beneath, finding her finger red with blood.

Cersei sighed as she fought down tears. Elias had drawn blood. And in doing so, may have cost Cersei the child she carried. Slowly getting out of bed, she made her way to Elias' personal bathroom to freshen up.

As she walked, the mirror caught her attention, and she looked.

Anyone who saw her in uniform would merely see an average female Imperial Officer, albeit a very physically attractive one, with a toned and beautiful body. However, anyone who saw her naked as she was now, would see the faintest hint of swelling in her lower stomach, the clearest sign of any that she was with child. Or had been with child.

Yet her hands found her belly, and somehow, she knew that the child still lived. _Born with their father's resilience, I'd bet,_ Cersei thought. She remembered a rare story Elias had told her of his early years, of when he mother had had a nasty fall when expecting him, yet he survived. Perhaps even the child she carried within her had survived even what Elias had done to her that morning.

It was then that the tears came. Stumbling, Cersei found herself on the lavatory, as she began to cry.

Elias had raped her. That was the only explanation. Out of anger towards her, or anger towards something else, she knew not. All she knew was that Elias had forced himself upon her, and she was unable to do anything about it.

This begged the question: What possibly could have driven him to such fury? Was it the conversation he'd had with the Jedi, something Elias had told her he planned to do whilst on the way to do it? Perhaps the Jedi had said something to Elias, something that had enraged Elias so much, the only conceivable thing he could do to release that anger was to force himself upon her, and rape her so viciously that he came dangerously close to ending the life of his unborn child, before it had a chance to properly begin.

Cersei looked up from her tearful stupor. She still loved Elias. She always would. But deep down, she wondered what it had been that had caused her to fall in love with such a monster as Elias.

* * *

 **And that is as close as you will ever see me get to describing a scene involving some form of sexual contact.**

 **But you have to feel for Colonel Aryn now, don't you? She's in love with a monster, who just raped her out of anger towards those who he feels betrayed him.**

 **I invite you to tell me what you thought in your reviews, and what you feel I can do better.**

 **With that said, I will see you with the next chapter, which sees Roman make one last motivational speech to the rest of the group before the mission.**

 **T-Rock14**


	17. Chapter 17: Tomorrow

**Chapter 17: Tomorrow**

 ** _Angel Island, Roman and Ashley's House, 19:00 pm…_**

It was nearly time.

Roman had long been thinking that, even since he had woken up this morning. Nearly time for him and his friends to sneakily leave the village, and journey down to Avalon to commandeer both a shuttle, and Imperial uniforms for Cassian and his men. And then, it would be time to begin the mission.

Roman looked at the clock. Seven p.m. Roman took a deep breath. Five more hours. Five hours until he took perhaps the biggest risk he had ever taken, and go against the orders of Sally for the first time in a long time. All for his best friend.

This got him thinking about Seth, making him reflect on everything they had been through in their near eleven year friendship: From the first time they had met in that corridor in the Jedi Temple, to when they were brothers in arms during the Clone Wars, and up until now, when Roman was prepared to defy another close friend in Sally to rescue Seth from certain death.

He was sure if Sally was aware of his plans, the question she'd ask was:

"Is he worth it?"

And as he reflected, Roman was more sure than ever that Seth was worth it. Friends like Seth were few and far between, and Roman knew that he was lucky to have a friend like Seth.

Roman suddenly recalled a conversation he had had with Seth years before, on the eve of the Battle of Geonosis, in which Roman participated alongside Roth. Seth had expressed his jealousy at not being allowed to go with them, but Roman had reassured him, saying that if the rumours were true, and war was on the horizon, then it was a given that Seth would be promoted to Padawan and assigned to a Jedi Master. He had added that they might even be assigned together, once Roman passed the Jedi Trials, and they'd be brothers in arms. Seth had replied that he felt he and Roman were already brothers: Brothers in all but blood.

Roman remembered those words keenly, as he concluded that not only was he saving a friend, but he was saving a brother. The idea of Seth as his brother fuelled his resolve. And as a result of them being brothers, they would protect one another like brothers.

He was driven from thought when a dinner plate appeared on the table before him, loaded with his and Ashley's common Friday dinner: A classic assortment of meat and vegetables, with a bowl of fruit as a side.

"Is everything alright?" Ashley asked, noticing Roman's thoughtful expression.

Roman nodded. "Just thinking about tonight." He replied.

Ashley nodded understanding. "Nervous?" She asked.

Roman frowned. "Yes and no." He replied. "I'm worried about what might happen, but I'm not nervous because I know for a fact I'm doing the right thing."

Ashley smiled. "The latter's what's important. Forget the former. It's like you always say; it's not happened yet, so why worry?"

Roman smirked. "Should have known you'd use my own argument against me to alleviate my worries." He remarked. Reaching up and cupping Ashley's cheek, he said: "But then again, that's why I love you."

Ashley smiled and shared a passionate kiss with Roman before breaking it, saying: "Anyways, tuck in before your dinner gets cold, mister. I'm not going to reheat it."

Roman chuckled before he did just that, demolishing his dinner in a matter of minutes. He was hungry.

Ashley picked up on this, smiling as she said: "Someone's hungry."

Roman nodded. "It's what happens after you skip lunch in favour of an all-day training session with Tails." He replied.

Ashley laughed and said: "Well maybe you should consider not doing it in future. I know how much you enjoy eating."

Roman smirked. "Especially if the food I'm eating at the time has been cooked by yourself."

Ashley giggled. "Back to using the same flattery you used to woo me at the beginning, are we?" She asked.

Roman rolled his eyes and sat forward. "Is that a complaint I hear?" He inquired teasingly.

Ashley shook her head. "No." She replied. "Just the random ramblings of a woman in love."

Roman nodded as she finished her dinner, before quickly using the Force to levitate the dishes and anything else that was dirty into the sink, quickly switching on the water, plugging the hole in the bottom, and sticking some washing liquid into the water.

Ashley shook her head. "Showoff." She replied.

"Considering what's going down later tonight, I think I'm allowed to enjoy a little showing off." Roman replied, before getting up and walking over to do the dishes. "Ask everyone around, if you could." Roman said. "Got one last thing to say to everybody before tonight."

Ashley nodded and went to do just that, wondering what it was that Roman wanted to say to everyone.

* * *

 ** _Later that night, 19:45 am…_**

"Thanks for coming, guys." Roman said as he addressed the entire group.

Everyone had shown up: Tails, Caleb, Shatter, Tusk, Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Silver, Blaze, Ahsoka, Crankshaft, Cassian, and his men.

"Yeah yeah, just get it over with." Shadow snapped. "We only have four and a quarter hours before we actually do this thing."

"Okay, okay." Roman replied. "Geez, what's with the sudden outburst?"

Shadow scowled. "I was about to get some with Rouge when your girlfriend called us requesting our presence."

Roman smirked. "You'll have plenty of time for that after this meeting. But moving swiftly along." Roman stood up and folded his arms in the middle of the group. "I can't thank you enough for what you're doing right now, guys. It's not everyday you're all forced to take the risk we're taking tonight: Defying a superior's orders in order to save a friend."

Roman paused before adding: "I know it's also probably going to get us all court-martialled, but hey, sometimes, there's the rules, and there's what's right." Eyeing all of them, he said: "And I'm grateful you guys chose to do what's right. Not just for myself, but for Ahsoka, and the child she carries. Most of us here know what it's like to grow up without a father, and it's something I'd wish on no-one. Especially not upon my best friend's baby."

Everyone nodded agreement, save for Shadow, who had made his opinion on the matter very apparent when they had all first agreed to do this.

Roman quickly added: "I won't lie to you; this mission will be dangerous." Roman frowned before saying: "The healthy Mobian, human, robot or Togruta mind doesn't wake up in the morning thinking this will be it's last day on Earth. But I think that's a luxury. Not a curse. To know you're close to the end is a kind of freedom." Roman spread out his hands as he addressed the entire group, adding: "Good time to take… inventory." Roman shrugged before saying: "Outgunned, outnumbered, out of our minds, and on a suicide mission. _But,_ the rocks, the sands, the grass, all of it, all of it stained with the millennia of warfare it has seen…" Roman chuckled. "They will remember us. For this. Because, out of all our vast array of nightmares, this is the one _we_ choose for ourselves. We go forward like a breath exhaled from the Force itself." Roman paused before finally adding: "With vigour in our hearts, and one single goal in sight… We. Will. Win."

The entire group started clapping as they saw the truth in Roman's words. After all, having a choice was better than having no choice. And they knew all too well that Roman believed that regardless of the situation, there was always a choice.

Roman held up his hands for quiet before saying: "Rest easy tonight, and rest well. Because at midnight, we're doing this."

Everyone nodded and filed out, leaving Roman, Ashley, Ahsoka, and Tails alone within the house.

* * *

Looking to Ahsoka, Roman smiled. "You alright?"

Ahsoka nodded, rubbing her rounded womb. "Yes." She replied. "Just worried. What if something goes wrong?"

"Well, it hasn't happened yet, Ahsoka, so don't worry." Roman replied, sharing a smile with Ashley. "With luck, in a few hours' time, Seth will be back in your arms, and we'll be on the way home."

"And in a month, you'll be holding your newborn baby son or daughter in your arms." Tails added with an optimistic and supportive smile.

Ahsoka responded with a smile of her own, nodding. "Thanks for the support." She said. "But I'm more than grateful for what you're doing for me. Were it not for what you're planning tonight, I wouldn't be so optimistic about my chances of ever seeing Seth again. But thanks to you, I am."

Roman smiled. "You don't need to thank me, Ahsoka. Because I know for a fact that were he in the circumstances we're currently in, and Ash was in your predicament, he'd have done exactly the same."

"The same with me." Tails added. "And I know you'd do the same for me what you're doing for Seth."

Roman nodded. "Exactly." He said. "You know, before the war, just before the Battle of Geonosis, me and Seth were talking. Seth was jealous that I got picked to go on the mission to Geonosis and he didn't, but then again, he was still a youngling. I said to him not to worry, since I was already close to becoming a Jedi Knight. Once I did, I'd hopefully try to take him as my Padawan Learner, and in doing so, we'd become brothers in arms." Roman smiled as he added: "But you know what Seth said to me in reply to that?" Roman eyed the other three. "He said: 'Don't you get it, Rome? We're already brothers in a sense. Brothers in all but blood'."

Ahsoka looked surprised. "He never told me that."

"You never asked." Roman replied. "Regardless, I imagine that if Sally did know about this, she'd ask me: 'Is it worth it'?" Roman folded his arms. "Now that I think about that conversation, I'm confident that what we're doing tonight _is_ worth the risk. Sally might not think so, but she's not been through what me and Seth have been through. We've fought and bled together, shared laughter, friends, everything. While I could also say the same for me and Sally, she simply hasn't done it as much as me and Seth have over the years. And for the most part, Seth is like family to me. And families protect each other, no matter what." Roman walked over to Ahsoka, and said: "Now you ought to get some rest. We've got a long day ahead of us, and I'd prefer that you're as rested as possible. It may be that you need it."

Ahsoka nodded and left, as did Tails.

"To bed then?" Ashley asked Roman.

Roman nodded. "Yeah. To bed." With that, he and Ashley went upstairs. Tonight, they would either succeed in rescuing Seth, or die trying.

* * *

 **The stage is set, and the pieces are all in place. The next few chapters will make up the epic conclusion to this story, the outcome of Roman's decision.**

 **With that said, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then leave a review in the appropriate section, letting me know what it was that you enjoyed and to tell me what I can do to improve for next time. In the event that you _really_ enjoyed it, then favourite and follow this story, so that you will be notified as to whenever I post a new chapter.**

 **Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) With the next chapter, in which Elias and his allies depart for their intended journey to Mustafar.**

 **T-Rock14**


	18. Chapter 18: Dungeons and Star Destroyers

**Chapter 18: Dungeons and Star Destroyers**

 _ **Imperial Castle, 23:50 pm…**_

"Grand Inquisitor. It's almost time."

Elias waved off the aide with a wave of his hand. _Finally,_ he thought. Finally he could deliver the Jedi to Lord Vader and be done with it. _And with luck, be done with Cersei as well,_ He thought to himself. At this point in time, he purely didn't care.

He had done what he had intended to do that day, which was take Cersei one last time. It helped that the comments Seth had made earlier that same day had incensed him so. So in a way, Elias felt grateful towards Seth for angering him; it had enabled him to release every last inch of his love for Cersei from within him with that final climax he had achieved through his incessant fucking of her.

Elias smiled. He'd discovered that he quite enjoyed doing what he had done to Cersei the previous day. Perhaps once all this was over and he had delivered Kerran to Vader and he had murdered Cersei, he might do it again from time to time whenever he felt up to it. But the time for such thoughts was over.

Standing up, he brushed his uniform down and pulled his helmet down over his head. He had a job to do, a job he was fully intent on completing to its fullest capacity. Even if it meant personally heading down to the surface of Mustafar and meeting Lord Vader there. Grabbing his lightsaber, he affixed it to his belt and stepped out of his quarters, which was still ruined from the day before. Closing the door, he exhaled before beginning to make his way towards the castle hangar.

On the way, he was quick to smell the infernal stench of an all too familiar rhinoceros. Wrinkling his nose, he turned towards the direction of the stench, scowling beneath his mask. _"Still_ haven't taken a bath, Argo?" He asked.

"What's it to you?" Argo replied rudely. He was dressed slightly more smartly than usual, now bedecked in custom-made Imperial armour made exclusively for him. The armour mainly covered his large shoulders, chest, torso, and forearms. But the armour, while protective, was only just that. It failed to mask Argo's insanely terrible hygiene issues.

"Do forgive Argo, Grand Inquisitor." A smooth yet harsh voice said as Argo's partner materialised as if from mid-air. "my colleague can be a little brusque."

"I know." Elias said. "But thanks for the apology, Alec. At least one of you has manners."

"Thank you." Alec Devron Otranto replied with a smirk. He too was bedecked in Imperial armour, mainly armour usually reserved for Shadow Troopers, and more heavily modified to house all of Alec's weaponry. Over that, he was wearing his signature coat, which now had a hood sewn onto it.

"Where is Frederick?" Elias asked. "Already gone?"

"No, as a matter of fact." Said Frederick as he emerged, garbed fully in Imperial Security Bureau armour, with his custom made helmet tucked in the crook of his right arm. His left hand rested on the pommel of the sword at his left hip. A sword Frederick boasted once belonged to the family of Roman the Fox. Also, Frederick also had his blaster pistol holstered in its appropriate place. "I was purely waiting patiently for you to be ready." He said.

Elias nodded. "To the shuttle, then?" He asked.

Frederick nodded. "To the shuttle. Our friends await us."

Elias nodded, and led the other three individuals forth towards the hangar. They had a shuttle to catch.

* * *

 _ **Imperial Castle Hangar, 31**_ _ **st**_ _ **October 3241, 00:05 pm…**_

"You're late." The Third Brother called out irritably as he saw the Grand Inquisitor, Frederick the Cat, Alec Devron Otranto and that infernal smelling rhinoceros, Argo.

"I'm sorry, did we miss the shuttle?" Elias replied harshly as he eyed the Third Brother angrily. When no answer came, Elias replied: "Good. Now get in there."

Reluctantly, the Third Brother acquiesced, turning and storming up the ramp into the shuttle.

Elias turned towards Frederick and his ilk, and nodded, allowing them to head up. With this, he turned his attention to Colonel Aryn, who wasn't showing any sign as to whether she was happy or not to see Elias. With a curt gesture with his head, Elias beckoned the colonel to head on in first. Finally, he turned, just as Governor Tarkin appeared behind him.

"Leaving now, Grand Inquisitor?" Tarkin asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Vader will not wait forever, Governor." Elias replied. "And my patience was wearing thin. I had best get this done and over with so that I can continue my work here on this planet."

Tarkin's face showed a thinly veiled smile. "And we were just beginning to get to know one another." Tarkin replied.

Elias frowned. "I will be back." He replied. "Keep the planet secure until I return." With this, he turned and headed onward into the shuttle, just as the ramp lifted. The last he saw of Governor Tarkin was the governor's face, just before the ramp lifted completely.

* * *

 _ **Within the shuttle…**_

Elias stepped within the main hold of the shuttle to find everyone he was bringing with him waiting.

Seth Kerran was currently laid on a stretcher, his arms and legs tied down to prevent escape. The Sith torture mask still remained over his head, in order to prevent him from using the Force to a significant degree.

Folding his arms, Elias asked: "Comfortable?"

Seth scoffed. "Depends on your definition of that word. If by comfortable, you mean my current predicament, then I'd be inclined to say as comfortable as I can possibly be. Which isn't much."

Elias chuckled and said: "Well unfortunately for you, until we reach the Star Destroyer, _this_ is how you will stay."

"I'm not complaining." Seth replied. "I've slept in worse places than this."

"Such as?" Elias asked.

Seth looked straight at him, and if Elias had lifted Seth's mask at that moment, he'd have seen a smirk. "Oh, you know. The usual places. City streets, doorways… your old bed in the castle…"

Elias's head snapped towards Seth, his fury mounting. "What did you say?" He asked.

"Uh, the bed you _used_ to sleep in." Seth replied. "You know, when you were a kid?"

Elias very nearly reached for his lightsaber, but managed to stop himself. "You are quite frankly the most annoying Jedi I have _ever_ encountered." Elias remarked.

"Thanks. I've been practising." Seth replied sarcastically, in a way that was supposed to be funny.

In a rare show, General Okada, who was also present, laughed, but only briefly, for he stopped the moment he saw Elias' glare fall upon him.

Elias turned back to Seth and said: "Enjoy the flight. Jedi." With this, he walked over to the seat next to Colonel Aryn, and sat down.

Cersei, after ensuring no one was watching, placed her hand over his and squeezed it gently.

Elias saw this, scowled under his mask, and pulled his hand out from beneath the colonel's. He had little need for affection. Turning towards the cockpit, he called out: "Take us away, pilot."

With that, the shuttle lifted off, and headed onward into the midnight sky.

Elias finally sat back and allowed himself to relax. He had the time for it, after all.

* * *

 **Ouch. Seth never holds back his verbal blows, does he? But then again, I'd likely do the same were I in his predicament.**

 **With that said, thank you all very much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please leave a review in the appropriate section, letting me know what it is that you enjoyed and what it is that you feel I could have done better and how I can do so. In the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then please favourite and follow this fanfiction, so that you will be notified as to whenever I upload a new chapter to this story.**

 **Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the next chapter, which sees Roman and his ilk get their rescue mission off to a promising start.**

 **T-Rock14**


	19. Chapter 19: Departure

**Chapter 19: Departure**

 _ **At the same time, Angel Island Hangar…**_

It wasn't long before Roman sighted his mission companions as he and Ashley approached the hangar.

"Late for you own mission?" Ahsoka asked jokingly with a smile. "I thought you'd be a little more punctual."

"Not my fault." Roman replied. _"Someone_ insisted on taking a long shower." At this, he turned and eyed Ashley, who rolled her eyes.

"Well, no use screwing around." Caleb said, stepping between Roman and Ahsoka. "We have a mission to be getting on with."

Roman nodded, and the group finally stepped into the hangar, with Roman bee-lining towards the Imperial shuttle.

"Shouldn't we take the Empire's Bane?" Caleb asked. "There'd be much more space."

"Too risky." Ahsoka replied as she walked past the both of them. "After what happened in Spagonia, the Empire's bound to be keeping a lookout. With what we're doing, the shuttle's the safer bet. Plus, we can destroy it later to prevent the Empire capturing it."

Caleb nodded understanding. "So the shuttle it is, then." He said, following Ahsoka up the ramp into the shuttle.

Roman turned and eyed the rest of the group. Beckoning, he called out: "What are you waiting for? We do have a mission to complete, you know."

Everyone nodded and entered the shuttle, some sitting down on the seats, others sitting on the floor.

E-123 Omega simply found a corner in the room and stood there, powering down to save his energy for when he needed it.

Roman quickly eyed the rest of the group. "This is it, people." He said. "Tonight, we stage the most dangerous mission we've ever done. Made even more dangerous by the fact that this isn't an official mission. Nicole _has_ logged this mission in our database, but the majority of the details will be blacked out, erased. With luck, no-one will _ever_ know this mission happened." Roman folded his arms as he added: "Like I said earlier, this mission will be dangerous. And I won't lie, there is a very strong possibility we will fail. If that turns out to be the case, this is the command I give for such an occasion: Deny _all_ knowledge of what happened tonight. We take the knowledge of this mission to our fucking graves." Roman bowed his head. "This is what black ops are all about." He said. "I've done a black op or two in my lifetime." He said. "That's a fact. But those missions, they didn't have any personal significance to me. All they were to me was just people the Republic and the Jedi wanted dead." Once again eyeing everyone in the room, meeting everyone's gaze, he added: _"This_ time… it's for my friend. No, not my friend, my _brother._ One of the few I would trust to have my back _any_ day of the week, _any_ battle I fight!" Roman nodded before he added: "Because I know for a fact, that he would do the same for me, what I'm doing for him."

Everyone clapped enthusiastically as Roman turned and stepped into the cockpit, where he found Ahsoka, Caleb, Ashley, Tails, and Crankshaft, four of whom turned to face him.

"Time to go?" Ahsoka asked.

Roman nodded. "Yes. Time to go." He said.

Ahsoka nodded before beginning the launch sequence.

Within seconds, the Imperial shuttle was out of the hangar and sailing into the night sky, its white colour a stark contrast against the starless darkness of the night, the one bright spot in an otherwise lightless place.

* * *

 _ **Later, 00:45 am…**_

Roman stepped out of the cockpit to find the majority of his group asleep.

All except for a few: Caleb, the clones, and Blaze.

It was to Caleb that Roman went to, sitting down next to the elderly Caracal. "How're we doing?"

"Just fine, thank you." Caleb replied. Chuckling, he said: "You know, this is the first real time we've had an opportunity to talk since you rescued me in Mobotropolis."

Roman nodded. "Yeah." He said. "But then again, I've been busy with all the planning for tonight."

Caleb nodded as well.

Roman laid back against the wall, arms folded. "How's Eren?" He asked.

Caleb nodded. "He's well." Caleb replied. "Misses his mother terribly, unsurprisingly."

Roman nodded. "As do we all." He said.

Caleb smiled and said: "But one thing he always talks about is you."

Roman looked surprised. "Always?" He asked.

Caleb nodded. "He worships you, you know. He's always saying about how you're his hero and how he wants to be just like you one day."

Roman smiled and sat back. "Well that's just something, isn't it?" He asked. "Roman the Fox; Jedi Knight, Freedom Fighter, Hero of children… The latter's something I never thought I'd be. All I did was amuse him using the Force."

"Yet you gave him a figure to look up to." Caleb replied. "I'm too old to be that to him, but you're not. He understands that you didn't have to amuse him using the Force. But the fact is that you did. And in doing so, changed his life. You were the father he never had."

Roman nodded before saying: "Thanks for that." Before getting up and walking over to the clones. "Everything good here?"

"Good as can be, General." Shatter said. "Isn't the first time we've done something like this."

"Let's just hope it's the last." Tusk said.

Roman nodded. "My sentiments exactly." He replied.

Shatter nodded before placing his hand on Roman's shoulder. "General… If me and Tusk don't make it… then it's been an honour to have served and fought beside you, both now and during the Clone Wars."

Roman placed his own hands on Shatter and Tusk's shoulders. "The honour was mine." He replied.

Shatter and Tusk nodded with appreciative smiles as they returned to what they had been doing, that being preparing their weapons.

Roman now walked over to Blaze, placing an arm around her shoulder. "Feel familiar?" He asked.

Blaze nodded. "The only difference is, you were asleep, and me and Silver were in the cockpit. Back then… it was just us. Now, months later, we're doing it all again. Except we have a much larger group with us this time."

Roman looked around. "Most of whom are asleep." He remarked.

Blaze smirked. "Including Silver." She said, motioning down to the hedgehog, who lay asleep in her arms.

Roman smiled. "Good thing is, there's nowhere private for you two." He remarked. "So thankfully, I won't have to deal with noise complaints."

Blaze nearly burst out laughing. "Fair enough." She said. Motioning with her hand, she said: "You'd better get back to the cockpit. And get some rest. It's likely that you'll need it."

Roman nodded and got up, heading back into the cockpit. He could use a few more winks of sleep. He needed all the energy he could get.

* * *

 _ **Avalon Spaceport, 1:30 am…**_

As the ramp lowered, Roman turned to Ahsoka. "Charges set?" he asked.

Ahsoka nodded. "It's rigged to blow." She said.

Smiling, Roman turned to the others, particularly Cassian and his group. "You know what you need to do, now go get those uniforms."

Cassian nodded and departed with his group, leaving Roman with the rest.

"Now, the rest of us have a cargo shuttle to find and steal." He announced.

The others nodded as they followed him onwards.

* * *

 _ **Later, a nearby street…**_

"Sir, four whiteheads and an Imp officer coming our way." One of Cassian's men informed him.

Cassian nodded. "Thank you Thane." He said. "Get ready to ambush."

Thane nodded and jogged to join his sister, Sansa.

Cassian smiled before giving a warning glance towards Wexley, the man who had busted them in Spagonia. "Keep your shit together, Wexley. I won't have you losing it again."

Wexley nodded, his face set. "I will." He replied.

Cassian nodded before sharing a look with Bran, his go to heavy weapons person. "Be ready, Bran." He said, just as the sound of marching filled their ears.

The entire group fell silent, as the stomping sound of marching Stormtroopers grew louder and louder. Raising a closed fist, Cassian prepared to bring it down to signal their ambush beginning.

At that moment, their targets came through: Four Imperial Stormtroopers, _and_ an Imperial Officer, just as Thane had said.

The moment they passed out of view, Cassian brought down his fist, before sprinting out of cover and towards the Imperials, smashing the butt of his blaster into the back of the head of the Stormtrooper in front of him, knocking the trooper out.

The rest turned, finding themselves met with the rest of Cassian's men, as Cassian himself converged on the Officer.

The Imperial Officer had a comlink in his hand, clearly about to key it and call for backup, but Cassian was faster, and kicked it from the Imperial Officer's hand before swinging at the officer with a right hook.

The officer was prepared though, and blocked the blow with his elbow, and responding with a right hook of his own, making heavy contact with Cassian's temple.

Seeing black spots dancing in front of his face, Cassian staggered back, but countered the Imperial's next strike by dodging it and elbowing the officer in the back of the head.

The officer staggered, but did not fall, retaliating instead with a back kick to Cassian's abdomen, which he quickly followed up with an attempt to roundhouse kick Cassian out of the fight.

Cassian barely blocked the blow, catching the officer's kick just as it was about to make contact, using the officer's leg like a rope, pulling the officer into a violent clothesline that caused the officer to perform in involuntary somersault in mid-air before crumpling to the floor. As the Imperial officer made to rise, Cassian walked over quickly and finished the fight with a stiff punch to the temple, knocking the officer out. Pausing a while to take a few deep breaths, Cassian turned to the others and nodded. "Strip them of their uniforms and weapons. We'll need them."

* * *

 _ **Later, in another hangar…**_

"This is it." Roman announced as he and the others entered a hangar, in which an Imperial cargo shuttle was housed.

It was a large, black ugly thing, looking like the wings from two Lambda class Imperial Shuttles had been ripped off and attached to a garbage retrieval hauler, and coloured black. However, it was the only way they were going to get aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer, and as a result, they needed it.

Roman quickly scanned the area for any signs of an Imperial presence, but found nothing, which he found unusual. The Empire usually guarded their ships twenty-four seven. For them not to be guarding this was strange. Unless…

"It looks like a trap." Tails remarked as he stepped up alongside Roman. "So, what do we do?"

Roman turned to Tails with a grin the twin-tailed kit had grown to both love and hate depending on the situation. "We spring the trap." He replied. Stepping forward, he drew his DL-44 Blaster Pistol before moving towards the shuttle.

Tails reluctantly followed, his blaster also drawn.

Together, the two Jedi slowly walked up the ramp, ready to engage anything that they found lurking within its depths.

"If we get killed now, Roman, I will make sure I rip your balls off and make you eat them before I die." Tails threatened.

Roman held up a finger to indicate quiet, before he found the ladder leading up to the upper level. Climbing said ladder, he checked his sectors before pulling himself up onto the other level. "We're good here." He whispered down to Tails.

Within seconds, the twin-tailed vulpine had joined him, examining the area in more detail. Seeing that it was safe, Tails keyed his comm: "We're good. Bring 'em in." He said.

It wasn't long before the rest of the group joined them, save for Cassian and his men, who were still absent.

Roman eyed all this approvingly before turning to Ahsoka and Tails, who were already preparing the shuttle for takeoff. "Keep her warm, guys, but we're not lifting off yet." Roman said. "We need to wait for-"

"Us?"

Roman turned to see Cassian lifting himself up into view, now garbed in full Imperial Officer attire. His men also came up, bedecked in Stormtrooper armour. "That timing was impeccable." Roman remarked.

"Thank you." Cassian replied, performing a jokingly mock bow to the laughter of the others.

Roman smirked before turning to Ahsoka. "Lift us off, Ahsoka. Let's get this show on the road."

Ahsoka nodded, and did just that, the shuttle lifting off and flying off. "You have the charges ready?" She asked.

Roman nodded. "Don't I always?" He asked, raising the detonator, and pressing it, listening out for the explosion.

The heard it, a low rumbling sound, like an earthquake was happening.

Ahsoka veered around in the shuttle to catch a glimpse, and she and Roman immediately smiled.

The shuttle they had used to get to the city was now in pieces. Unusable, irretrievable, and utterly useless.

With this image in minds, they veered away and flew off into orbit. They had a rescue mission to do.

* * *

 _ **Later, Outside Imperial Star Destroyer Murderous, 3:00 am…**_

Imperial cargo vessel, please identify yourselves and state your cargo." The operator said through the comm.

"Provisions." Tails said, having run a check beforehand, as they had exited the atmosphere. "Food, drink, munitions. The usual."

There was a brief pause before the operator replied: "Our checks say the Star Destroyer is already fully armed and provisioned. There's no need to bring more."

"Always good to have a little extra." Tails replied as calmly as possible. "Wouldn't you agree?"

The operator was silent before replying: "My superior seems not to mind. Transmit your codes and we'll assign you a hangar."

The temporary comm silenced enabled Tails to mutter: "Please let these work." Before he transmitted the codes.

There was another brief pause as the codes were being checked, at which Tails prepared to veer away if they were fired upon. But finally, the operator came back on, with the relief inducing announcement of:

"Codes check out. You may land in the main hangar, where your provisions will be unloaded." Then, the comm fell silent.

Tails sat back and shared a relieved look with Ahsoka, whose eyes he was startled to find were etched with pain. A suspicion started to form, but he dismissed it. It was too early for Ahsoka to go into labour. Yet the question remained in the back of his head: Was she?

He was stopped from inquiring when Roman came in, his face inquisitive.

"I'm assuming by the fact that we're not being fired at currently that we're good for entry?" He asked.

Tails nodded. "We're in, Roman." He said with a smile.

Roman breathed a sigh of relief before saying: "Good work." And heading out into the main hold, gesturing to Cassian and his men. "Get downstairs with the cargo. Phase One of the plan is done."

Cassian and his men nodded and proceeded to climb down.

Roman looked at the rest of his friends, saying: "That was the easy part. The hard part is just about to start."

* * *

 **Yes it is.**

 **Sorry for the delay in updating. I was completely knackered last night, and had a lot of homework to do, which is never fun.**

 **Explanations aside, thank you all so much for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please leave a review in the appropriate section, telling me what it is that you enjoyed and what it is that you think I can do better for next time. In the event that you _really_ enjoyed it, then you are cordially invited to favourite and follow this fanfiction, so that you will receive notifications of any updates that I upload as and when I do so.**

 **Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully) with the next chapter, which sees Roman and Elias put their respective plans into motion.**

 **T-Rock14**


	20. Chapter 20: Phase Two

**Chapter 20: Phase Two**

 _ **At the same time, Elias' personal quarters…**_

"Once again, you fail to disappoint me, Grand Inquisitor." Darth Vader said as he addressed the kneeling Elias. "I wondered whether you would use the ten or so days that have passed to do my work for me."

"Never, my lord." Elias said. "It is your will, and that of the Emperor's that matters, not my own."

Vader folded his arms. "Would it that many of the officers that have served me done as such with the loyalty you are showing now. Many might yet be alive." With a dismissive wave of his hand, Vader said: "I will meet you personally at my fortress on Mustafar. I expect to see you presently. _With_ the Jedi." With that, Vader's visage disappeared from the holoprojector.

Elias rose to his feet, and folded his arms. That had gone far more smoothly than he had expected. He had thought Lord Vader would have been miffed at the least that Elias had made him wait, since the Dark Lord of the Sith was not famous for being patient. Elias was also thankful that Vader had requested Elias to meet him with Seth on the surface of Mustafar, at Vader's castle. It would mean Vader would not need to see Colonel Aryn, and it would mean he would not sense the child Aryn still carried. That was, unless Elias killed her before they came to Mustafar. The journey to which by Elias' count, was going to begin in just under an hour.

He was interrupted by a knock at his door. "Come in." He called out.

He heard the door open, and a familiar voice say:

"Grand Inquisitor?"

Elias smiled before turning to see a face he had not seen in a long time: That of the former Commander of Artika Base: Joffrey Stark. "Commander Stark. I often wondered where you were after the events in Artika." Elias said, sociably.

"With respect, it's Colonel Stark now, Grand Inquisitor." Stark replied. "I was promoted to Colonel after successfully subjugating the uprising in Soumerca."

"Excellent. I've yet to read the report on that." Elias said, only just remembering. "It appears that your ability in the field is finally being properly utilised."

"Thank you, Grand Inquisitor." Colonel Stark replied. "I was merely doing my duty, both as a servant of the Empire, and as the commander of my troops there."

Elias tilted his head to one side. "What a pity it is that many officers do not share your definition of duty." He remarked.

"That's because those officers have no honour." Stark replied in disgust. "In my book, a man without honour is a man that doesn't deserve to live. Wouldn't you agree?"

Elias nodded agreement. "Anyways, thank you for the visit."

"I merely came to thank the man that made this all possible for me." Stark replied. "That being yourself. Also, the General wants you on the bridge as soon as possible."

Elias nodded. "Go and tell him I will join him shortly. I have a mission report to read."

Stark smiled and nodded. "I will, Grand Inquisitor." With this, the young officer left Elias, who promptly sat down.

He quickly brought up the mission report from Soumerca. He wanted to see just how well Stark had done.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile, in the Main Hangar…**_

Roman eyed everyone still in the room, his finger placed at his lips to indicate quiet, as he and they waited for the Imperials to come and get the cargo on the shuttle, which they would know by communication via Cassian, who was standing down there with his men, all disguised as Stormtroopers, or in Cassian's case, an Imperial Officer.

Finally, they heard something: Cassian saying softly via his communicator: "Here they come."

Roman nodded, saying: "Keep your composure. They'll pick up on it if you look nervous."

Cassian was silent before saying: "Will do." and cutting the conversation short.

Roman crept over to the main hatch that led down to the cargo hold, pressing his ear against it to listen in to the conversation.

As he imagined, it was full of conversation pertaining to the cargo, and on various other subjects.

It was when the conversation had ceased when he knew that the Imperials and Cassian had left with the cargo, and he quietly stepped into the cockpit for visual confirmation.

To his relief, they were, and Cassian and his new friends were now on their way. Looking to Ahsoka, he gave her a massive grin. "It's on, now." He remarked.

Ahsoka smiled and nodded. "Go get them, Rome." She said.

Roman nodded and turned to do so, but stopped when he heard Ahsoka inhale sharply, followed by a barely audible wince of pain. Turning back to Ahsoka, he asked: "You alright there?"

Ahsoka nodded. "I'm fine." She said, despite the visible tension in her body, which suggested something very different.

Roman frowned and considered pressing the issue, but shook his head and left, beckoning Blaze over. "I think it's happening." Roman whispered. "You hear anything that suggests I'm right, get the fuck in there. You hear?"

Blaze nodded, and returned to her spot, while Roman addressed the others:

"This is it, guys. It's on." He said. "Each of you have your assignments, which I gave to you during the journey. Team Dark, you will head to the engine room and disable the hyperdrive and engines, making this thing dead in orbit. Silver and Blaze will stay behind with the clones, Crankshaft and Omega, just in case Ahsoka goes into labour. The rest of us, that being me, Ashley, Tails and Caleb, will head off to find and rescue Seth. Clear?"

Everyone nodded.

Roman nodded. "Me and my group will head out first. Then a few minutes later, it'll be Team Dark's turn." With that, he nodded to his group, pulled up his hood, and climbed down.

Tails sighed and followed, muttering: "Once more unto the breach." Which induced much laughter.

Ashley and Caleb soon followed, and the four compatriots all eyed the area outside of the shuttle.

It was brimming with other cargo and whatnot, but also with guards.

Thankfully, these were few and far between, but Roman knew he couldn't risk a flat out assault. It would merely alert the Empire to their presence, and the mission would have ended prematurely, and proved Sally right. Something Roman was determined not to do. Turning to his friends, he said: "On my mark, we run for the door." He said. "We don't stop, we don't hide. We run."

Everyone nodded understanding, and with that, Roman peeked up above the cargo they were currently hiding behind, keeping his eyes peeled for an opening.

There was currently a lot of Imperials in-between them and the door, all either standing around talking, or doing various duties. Until they cleared, Roman and his team weren't going anywhere.

 _Will they just fucking move?!_ Roman thought to himself.

As if on cue, the field began to lessen and lessen, as Imperial personnel were told to return to duty.

"Hold…" Roman said, holding up his arm to indicate so.

The others readied themselves to run, as Roman did so himself.

"Hold…" Roman once again said, as several Imperial personnel quickly finished their conversation before each going their separate ways. Then, finally checking around them to see if anyone was looking, which there thankfully wasn't, Roman nodded. "Okay, go!" At this, he burst forward in one fluid, quick movement, sprinting towards the doors leading into the Star Destroyer.

Ashley, Tails and Caleb all followed, also sprinting as fast as their legs could carry them.

It wasn't long before they thankfully made it through the doors, and finding themselves in a corridor.

"And now," Roman declared, "we head to the prison block."

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile, Cargo Hold…**_

"And here we are." The Imperial Officer, a young man named Carson, declared. "If you'll just deposit the cargo here, then we can assign you to your quarters and we'll be done with it."

Cassian nodded and signalled his mean to do as Carson requested, before turning to assist them with their task, grabbing a hover-crate of cargo and taking it over to its appropriate section, all while making note of how many men Carson had with him, most of whom were also helping with the cargo. There were approximately five of them in total, including Carson, who was standing there overseeing the activity as if they were slaves and he was their master.

Cassian scowled as a memory came to mind, one he quickly pushed aside. That was a past life. One he no longer led.

Within moments, the cargo had been placed neatly where it would be.

Carson nodded approvingly, and said: "Now, if you'll follow me, we'll assign you some quarters and we can enjoy the journey."

Cassian eyed his men and nodded. "Unfortunately, Carson, that's no longer the case." He said.

Carson turned, as if to ask why, but got his answer in the form of Cassian shooting him multiple times.

Cassian's men did the same with the others, shooting them dead in a hail of blaster fire.

Once this was all done, Cassian looked around and said: "Make sure they're dead. Then hide the bodies."

With this, Cassian's men milled around, shooting them all in the head, just to ensure that they would not raise the alarm in their dying moments, and once that was done, they hid them where they could.

Finally, Cassian contacted Roman: "Roman, we've deposited the cargo and we're good to go. What now?"

"Now you find somewhere to hole up and unleash hell." Roman said. Suddenly, Roman fell silent, as if considering a fresh idea. "The engine room's a safe bet. You can hole up there and assist Team Dark in disabling everything. Then you can hold there until I give you the call to get back to the ship."

"Anything else?" Cassian asked. "We could set charges around the cargo hold and blow them. Maybe cause a distraction and get everyone off of our backs temporarily while we proceed to where we need to go."

Roman was silent for a few seconds before saying: "That's actually not a half bad idea, now that I think about it. Do it." With that, the comm was cut.

Cassian nodded and looked around, saying: "You heard the man. Let's blow this cargo hold to kingdom come."

* * *

 _ **The Main Bridge…**_

"Grand Inquisitor. Glad you could make it." General Okada called out as Elias strode onto the bridge. "Was the report of Colonel Stark's actions during the Soumerca Uprising to your liking?"

Elias nodded. "Very much so." He replied. "It's criminal to me that his abilities were not recognised earlier."

"Indeed." General Okada replied, nodding approvingly at Colonel Stark. "He deserves every praise he got for his handling of the Uprising. Not too dissimilar to how you praised Colonel Aryn's handling of the initial assault on Mobotropolis when we invaded this planet."

Under his mask, Elias scowled, eyeing Aryn. "Yes." He replied. "In my view, they would make quite the partnership if ever they oversaw a battle."

Cersei looked to Elias, her eyes narrowed. Was he effectively dumping her? She shook her head. That couldn't be the case. He still cared about her, didn't he?

Elias had moved on from that snippet of conversation, and to business: "Any particular reason we're still in orbit and not entered hyperspace yet?" He asked.

Colonel Okada frowned. "Lord Vader is currently tied up with business on Coruscant. But he assures us he will contact us to inform us he is ready to meet us on Mustafar."

Elias nodded. "Excellent." He remarked. "So we'll be here for a while, basically."

"Precisely what I'm saying." Colonel Okada replied. "At least until five o'clock is my count."

"So we've effectively an hour before we can leave?" Elias asked.

"It would appear so." Frederick said, speaking for the first time during the meeting. "But at least it gives us some extra time to enjoy the amenities of this ship."

Elias nodded. "Perhaps." He said. "Will that be all, General?"

Okada nodded. "It will be all, Grand Inquisitor. You are free to explore the ship."

Elias nodded as everyone began moving away, but grabbed Cersei as she left. "Head to my quarters. I will see you presently."

Cersei nodded and walked away, not saying a word.

It wasn't long before Elias noticed a short conversation between Frederick and the Third Brother, the lattermost of whom turned and left, following Cersei.

Elias saw this with a raised eyebrow. Could it be that Frederick had told the Third Brother everything Elias had confided in him? And if so, was it due to Frederick trying to help Elias kill off Cersei, as he had suggested Elias do?

Elias frowned and walked towards Frederick. He had some questions for the former crime lord. And he expected answers.

* * *

 _ **With Roman and his team, at the same time…**_

"I assume you know where you're going?" Ashley asked her lover as they moved through an empty corridor.

"I've looked over the schematics for both an Imperial Star Destroyer, and the old Republic Star Destroyers." Roman replied. "They're both pretty similar in layout, so I'd assume the Prison Block is nearby. And knowing the Empire, they'd put Seth in the Maximum Security Block."

"So Sally would be right: He is heavily guarded." Tails said.

"Not enough though." Roman replied. "The standard security detail for the Maximum Security part of the prison block is about two platoons. When honestly, it should be more than that."

"If you say so." Tails said as several Stormtroopers jogged past.

After checking to ensure that there would be no more headed their way, Roman motioned, and the group headed onwards.

"How much further?" Ashley asked.

"Few more corridors if the schematics are to be believed." Roman said. "But first, we need to find somewhere to hide until we hear explosions."

As if on cue, the entire ship rumbled, as the distant sound of an explosion rocked the surrounding area, and an alarm began blaring throughout the ship.

Roman shrugged. "Guess that was the cargo hold going up." He said. "In other words, let's go."

* * *

 _ **With the Third Brother…**_

The Third Brother stopped and looked around as the explosion hit the ship, shaking it slightly and causing an alarm to which he'd grown accustomed to start sounding. He raised an eyebrow at this. What was going on? Were there Freedom Fighters on the ship? The latter question he pushed aside. Even the Freedom Fighters were not so stupid as to attack an Imperial Star Destroyer. It simply wasn't done. With this in mind, he walked over to the door leading into the Grand Inquisitor's quarters and rapped on the door.

"Come in." Colonel Aryn called out.

The Third Brother obliged, doing so to a surprised Colonel Aryn.

"Apologies, but I was expecting Elias." The colonel said.

"Agreed, but given that there was just an explosion on board, I suspect he would want me to keep an eye on any important Imperial dignitaries in the area. You qualify for that group in that regard."

The colonel nodded. "Thank you." She said.

"Oh, don't thank me." The Third Brother replied. "I am merely doing my duty."

As he was saying this, his hand found the knife he had requisitioned from the armoury. It suited him perfectly, since the grip fit his hand almost equally as well as his lightsaber's grip, and the blade along one edge was heavily serrated. Perfect for inflicting maximum pain upon the colonel, and getting the most out of what was to be his moment of vengeance upon the Grand Inquisitor for disrespecting him: By stabbing the one thing the Grand Inquisitor loved most: That being the Colonel. That and the unborn child that the colonel carried, and then watching her bleed out, slowly dying as the child she carried within did. He nodded in approval of this plan, before turning to the Colonel and walking up. "Is there anything you need, Colonel?" He asked.

The colonel shook her head. "No thank you. I ate not long ago, so I'm not that hungry."

The Third Brother nodded. "Good." He said, before suddenly ripping the knife from its sheath, and burying it to the hilt in the colonel's lower abdomen, right where her uterus would be.

Colonel Aryn doubled over as her eyes widened, clearly not expecting this., looking up to the Third Brother in shock.

Ripping the knife out, the Third Brother stabbed her again, albeit in a different area.

Only this time, the colonel pushed herself off of the blade, and grabbed for her pistol.

The Third Brother was too quick though, and kicked her blaster out of her hand before stabbing her again, also in the uterus.

He did this twice more before he finally pulled the knife out from Colonel Aryn's mangled womb, and she tried to rise, but toppled to the floor, hand against her belly, which even now leaked blood.

Cleaning his knife with the sheets of the bed, the Third Brother sheathed his knife, and began to wait patiently for the colonel to die.

* * *

 _ **With Cassian and his group…**_

"That was a nice sounding explosion." Thane remarked as he and Cassian strode along, the rest of the group following them.

Cassian nodded agreement. "But right now, we need to get to the engine room and hole up there." He said. Contacting Shadow, he said: "Shadow! Me and my men are headed to the engine room to assist you. Could you direct me to your position?"

Shadow's voice came up, replying: "We didn't ask for any help. If anything, you can stand guard while we disable the engines."

Cassian scowled and replied: "You still haven't told us your position."

Shadow could be heard growling in anger on the other side. "Back end of the ship: Two floors down from where the hangar is."

Cassian nodded and said: "On our way." Before moving in the direction of the engine room.

"Charming individual." Sansa, Thane's sister and Cassian's current girlfriend said.

"With a person like him, there's little you can do about it." Bran said. "He's not necessarily the type to want help."

"All I know is that he'll kill me if I blow this mission." Wexley said.

"Well, if anyone's blowing the mission, it likely won't be you, Wexley." Cassian replied.

The youngest member of his team nodded, just as they reached the elevator.

Cassian jogged over and called for the elevator. They had been on the same floor as the hangar bay the entire time, but now it was time to head on down.

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator came, thankfully not full of Imperials.

Jumping on in, Cassian pressed the button for two floors down, and the door closed.

As the elevator began to move, Cassian allowed himself a breath of relief. So far, this mission was going to plan.

* * *

 _ **Imperial Cargo Shuttle, Main Hangar, 4:30 am…**_

A shrill scream from within the cockpit jarred Blaze from her slumber, as it did the rest of the inhabitants, those being the clones and Silver. Looking to them, she said: "You know what to do. Get to it."

They all obliged, with the clones powering up both Omega and Crankshaft, the latter of whom said:

"Who needs to be murdered in cold blood?"

"Nobody yet, Crankshaft." Blaze said. "But I need you to stand guard outside the shuttle with the others."

"Yes, mistress Blaze." Crankshaft said as he readied his rifle and joined the others as they headed out.

Blaze watched them head out before turning and heading into the cockpit, where she frowned at what she saw.

Ahsoka was standing hunched over, one hand on the wall, the other on her belly. "I was kind of hoping you'd not hear that." Ahsoka said.

Blaze shook her head and said: "It doesn't matter now, you're in labour." Walking over, she guided Ahsoka out of the cockpit, and helped her onto one of the seating areas on the shuttle, helping her to lie down, just as another wince of pain emanated from Ahsoka. Placing her hand on Ahsoka's head, she said: "You're going to be fine; I promise."

Ahsoka nodded and said: "The ramp… You have to lift the ramp."

Blaze looked and nodded. With the ramp still lowered, Ahsoka's screams would echo throughout the Star Destroyer, and possibly bring the entire detail of Stormtroopers down onto their heads. Looking to Ahsoka, Blaze said: "Wait here." With that, she scrambled into the cockpit, quickly find the ramp lift switch, flipping it as she turned once more to Ahsoka. "Now to deal with you." She said with an optimistic smile, walking over to Ahsoka. "Any idea how far along you are?" She asked.

Ahsoka shook her head. "I only started really feeling the contractions just before we landed."

Blaze did a quick calculation. If that was the case, then Ahsoka would only be several centimetres dilated, nowhere near as ready to push as Blaze would have hoped. Regardless, she decided to check. "I'm just going to poke around in there, just to make sure."

Ahsoka nodded, pulling down her leggings and underwear before saying: "Do it."

Blaze obliged, and after several moments of poking around within Ahsoka, she withdrew her hands, saying: "By my count, you're six centimetres gone. Four more, and you'll be pushing the baby out."

Ahsoka nodded, just as water suddenly gushed out from between Ahsoka's legs.

Blaze jumped back to avoid it, before saying: "Well, your waters have broken. That's always a good indication of how far along you are." She said.

Ahsoka nodded before another contraction struck, causing a loud yell of pain to erupt from her.

Blaze sighed and knelt down. She'd practised time and time again with dummies, but this was the real thing. Time to see if practise really did make perfect.

* * *

 _ **With Elias…**_

"How badly damaged are we?" Elias asked.

"Not too badly that we will not be able to make the jump to hyperspace, Grand Inquisitor." Colonel Stark said. "So unless something happens in the next few minutes, we'll be in hyperspace in no time."

Elias scowled and said: "I will hold you to that, Colonel."

"Yes sir." Stark said as he turned and resumed his work.

Elias scowled and walked away, headed for his quarters, where he knew Cersei waited. And if what Frederick had told him was true, so was the Third Brother.

Elias stopped and wondered why he had not asked the Third Brother's help himself in solving this problem. The man clearly had killed several of his mistresses because they fell pregnant. What harm would be done in helping the Grand Inquisitor rid himself of his mistress? Perhaps then, a proper working relationship might be established, and respect for one another might foster itself.

But then again, knowing the Third Brother, he would likely want to make the Colonel's death as slow and painful as possible for her. Elias would have to strike the fatal blow. Not that he would have minded. It would make him better, and enable him to serve the Empire once more without any inhibitions. One of the many reasons why the Third Brother was not the Grand Inquisitor, for the Third Brother had many inhibitions: Arrogance, vindictiveness even for the most petty slight, pride. All these things were synonymous with the Third Brother.

Elias shook his head. The Third Brother was no longer his chief problem. That was the colonel.

Realising he was drawing close, Elias began to harden his heart for what he would have to do. He would tell the colonel one more time that he loved her, and then, and _only then,_ would he do it.

* * *

 _ **With Roman, Ashley, Tails and Caleb…**_

"Prison block. Finally." Roman remarked as he and his friends drew near to the aforementioned section of the Star Destroyer.

"About time we started this mission in earnest." Caleb remarked. "I've been lugging Seth's armour and other weapons for a good few minutes now."

Roman chuckled, and made to respond, when his comlink came on, with Silver's voice crackling through:

"Roman, what's you status pertaining to Seth?" He asked.

"We're just about to head into the prison block. Why?" Roman inquired.

Silver sighed. "You were right; it _is_ happening."

Roman scowled. "Fuck." He growled. "How close is she to actually giving birth?"

"Blaze tells me she's nearing seven centimetres, so not long at all." Silver said.

Roman scowled. Above all, Seth had wanted to be present for the birth of his son or daughter. If he was denied that one wish, he'd never forgive himself. "Keep me posted on everything that happens." Roman said. "You hear? _Everything."_

"Understood." Silver said as he cut the connection.

Roman turned to the now worried faces of Seth, Ashley and Caleb. "We can do this, guys." He said. "Let's move." With this, they moved on in to the prison block, stacking up on a corner near to the main prison block.

Peeking around, Tails frowned. "I'm not seeing that many guards. This reeks of a trap."

Caleb stroked his goatee. "Then I suggest we spring said trap, and then-" Caleb stopped before cringing in distaste. "Goddess, that stinks!" He snarled.

Roman sniffed the air two, and shook his head to clear it. "Strong smell of shit and piss? Check." He said. "That stench means that there's one person in there we should be careful of."

"That being?" Caleb asked.

"Argo. Argo the Rhinoceros." Roman replied. "Formerly a henchman of my good friend Frederick the Fox, who I suspect is also on the ship, given that Argo is here. Which means that where Argo is-"

"Alec isn't too far behind." Ashley said with a frown.

Tails frowned. "Me, Ashley or Caleb aren't in the best of conditions to fight Argo, which leaves only you for him. I'll deal with Alec." He said.

Roman turned. "Are you sure?" He asked. "I'm the only one who's ever fought Alec out of the four of us."

"Not the only one." Ashley said. "I had the misfortune of facing him several months after Elias supposedly killed you, during a quick recovery mission. Salvaging what we could from the remains of the Sky Patrol. He showed up, we fought. Good thing I brought my sword." She said, motioning to the sword currently sheathed over her shoulder.

Roman smiled. He'd learned that Ashley had took training from Espio in the use of a sword, and had grown extremely skilled in its use. With that in mind, he replied: "Then at least fight with Tails alongside you. If Alec goes invisible, then-" He stopped before lashing out with a Force Push, hearing a loud clatter as out of nowhere, Alec appeared, materialising into being.

Brushing himself off, Frederick's assassin eyed Roman with an amused look. "I was beginning to worry you'd not have sensed me in time." Alex remarked.

"Happens." Roman said, reaching for his lightsaber, when suddenly, the stench of shit and piss from earlier suddenly grew stronger, and something large barrelled into Roman, tossing him against the wall. Groaning in pain, Roman forced himself to his feet, looking up at a rhinoceros he had come to know well. And hate. "Hello Argo. Long time no see."

"Go fuck yourself, foxy." Argo snapped.

Roman rolled his eyes. "Well, guess no one can blame me for trying to be sociable." He remarked, before suddenly tackling Argo to the floor.

Alec charged to attack Roman, but his sword met that of a drawn sword.

"Not on my watch you bastard!" Ashley snarled as she pushed her adversary back, turning to Tails and Caleb. "Go and get Seth! We'll hold them off!"

Tails nodded to Ashley and then to Caleb, and with that, the fox and the elderly caracal turned and rushed to find Seth's cell, searching every cell, until they both heard a familiar voice call out:

"Hey, what the fuck took you so long?"

Tails and Caleb breathed a sigh of relief as they turned to face the speaker.

There, looking as healthy as one could be save for some sort of mask covering his face, standing in cell 627, grinning like a lunatic, was Seth Kerran. "So tell me." Seth asked. "How the fuck did Sally allow you idiots to go on this mission?"

* * *

 _ **With Cassian and his group, engine room, 4:50 am…**_

"About time." Shadow snapped as he saw Cassian and his ilk arrive. "We're nearly finished. Keep us covered until then."

Cassian frowned, but did as he was told, motioning for his men to do the same. But while they did so, they took off their helmets. Cassian did the same with the hat, dumping it nearby. He'd never enjoyed wearing those things.

An idea came into his head, as he remembered they still had charges left. Turning to Shadow, he said: "I have an idea on something that might speed things along."

"I'm open to suggestions." Shadow replied nonchalantly.

"How about we blow the entire engine room, and then fight our way back to the ship and make our stand there?" Cassian suggested.

Shadow frowned before nodding approvingly. "That actually is not a bad idea. Throw us some charges."

Cassian nodded and motioned to his men, who handed out the charges they had left to Shadow and Rouge.

In a rare smile from Shadow, the ebony Hedgehog said: "Thanks." Before proceeding to set the charges. Once that was done, he said: "Now let's get out of here." With that, he, Rouge, Cassian, and his group all headed out, getting into a nearby elevator before Cassian handed Shadow the detonator. "Care to do the honours?"

Shadow nodded, and pressed the detonator, hearing the explosion beneath them, as fresh alarms began blaring.

Cassian smiled and folded his arms. Now, it was time to get this party started.

* * *

 _ **The Main Bridge, at the same time…**_

"What now?!" General Okada demanded as his subordinates struggled to register the damage.

"There's been an explosion in the engine room sir!" An aide shouted. "Damage is enough that we will not be able to jump to hyperspace until such time that it is repaired."

General Okada scowled. "This stinks of the Freedom Fighters." He growled.

"Well sir, there's a small group of people running to the hangar now. They must be about to escape."

Okada scowled. "Those rebel scum will not topple the Empire this easily. Kill them all!" Pointing a finger at the aide, he growled: "Either _they_ die, or _you_ do."

The aide nodded and keyed the intercom: "Attention all units. We have intruders in the main hangar. Converge and kill them all." He looked up at the General and added: "Either they die, or you do."

The General nodded approvingly. Now all there was to do was wait. Wait for the inevitable call that the rebels had been crushed.

* * *

 _ **With Elias, at the same time…**_

Ignoring the announcement, believing it was nothing, Elias rounded the corner, and stormed into his room, stopping fast at what he saw.

Cersei lay in a pool of her own blood, her belly punctured with five stab wounds, each around the very same area: Her uterus.

Falling to his knees, Elias almost allowed tears to fall. The child Cersei carried, _his_ child, was now dead without a doubt. Getting to his feet, he walked over to Cersei, only to be accosted by the Third Brother, who reached for his lightsaber. Stopping him, Elias instead pulled him close, and whispered: "I know you did this for me. And for that, I'm grateful."

The Third Brother appeared surprised, but nodded, and stood aside.

Taking off his mask, Elias knelt down in front of Cersei, who looked up.

"E-Elias?" She asked. Her face was growing paler and paler, the colour draining from her face with every drop of blood that she lost.

Elias nodded. "Yes, Cersei. I'm here." He finally let the tears fall, silently swearing to himself that they would be the last he ever shed. Reaching out, he stroked her cheek, as he always did whenever he and Cersei were together post coitus.

Cersei struggled to her feet, but stumbled, weakened by heavy blood loss. "Our child may be lost forever, but the problem is solved. We can carry on now." She said, a smile crossing her face.

Elias looked away, fighting off the emotions that were begging him not to do what he needed to do, imploring him to deny the will of the regime he served and give in to his feelings.

Cersei, weakened though she was by blood loss, cupped Elias' cheek, seeing the conflict in his face. "Elias… what's wrong?"

Opening his eyes, Elias shut the emotions out, and replied: "The fact that I love you so is what's wrong." As he said that, he took his lightsaber from his belt, and placed it to her chest, just beneath her heart, and once the final word left his lips, he pressed ignition, impaling the love of his life upon his blade, as he had done numerous Jedi.

Cersei's face fell as she looked down to see the lightsaber buried to the hilt in her chest, and then at Elias, seeing how conflicted he was.

Elias shut his eyes against tears as he pulled his lightsaber out, allowing her to fall onto him, her dying breath hot against his face.

Pulling herself up with the last of her strength, She pulled herself closer to Elias, whispering softly in his ear: "It doesn't matter what happens from now, Elias; I'll always love you nonetheless." And with that, her body went limp.

And so it was, that Colonel Cersei Lysa Aryn, rising star in the Imperial military, and lover of the Grand Inquisitor, died.

Picking her up, Elias carried her to the bed on which he would have slept, and laid her upon it, folding her hands neatly over her torso.

The Third Brother joined Elias then, staring in disbelief. "It is done, then?" He asked.

Elias scoffed. "Not yet." He replied, before igniting and driving his lightsaber to the hilt in the Third Brother's chest.

The Third Brother's eyes widened as he looked down at the lightsaber buried in his chest, before looking back up at the Grand Inquisitor, who smiled.

"Be thankful that I grant you this end, instead of the end Vader would give you upon discovering your crime." Elias snarled. With this, Elias pulled his lightsaber free with a jerk, enabling the Third Brother to fall down to his knees. Without a second thought, Elias spun his lightsaber, and with that, he beheaded the Third Brother.

It was as the corpse fell to the floor that Colonel Stark burst in: "Grand Inquisitor, we're…" He stopped as he saw the body of the Third Brother, and then the body of Colonel Aryn. His eyes widening in shock, he asked: "Did you…"

"The Third Brother yes." Elias said. "But it was the Third Brother who murdered the Colonel. He has since been punished for said crime." Deactivating his lightsaber, Elias attached it to his belt before picking up his mask where he had dropped it, pulling it over his face. "Now what is the problem?" He asked.

Stark sighed. "The Freedom Fighters… They're here."

Elias immediately scowled and asked: "Where are the Jedi?" He demanded.

"Prison block." Colonel Stark replied.

Elias nodded. He'd expected this ever since Seth Kerran had been captured. "Leave them to me, Colonel. You deal with the rest." With this, the Grand Inquisitor grabbed the Third Brother's lightsaber and strode out of the room, leaving the bodies of Colonel Aryn and the Third Brother forever in darkness.

* * *

 **It was never going to end well for Elias and Cersei, was it?**

 **For the most part, I am so terribly sorry for the extended delay. Schoolwork was beginning to wear on me as well as this and well, I switched off, effectively. That, and I am trying _desperately_ to catch up on Game of Thrones. Good thing I finished Season 4 today. Let's hope that I can finish seasons 5 & 6 before season 7 comes out. Winter is Coming.**

 **With that said, thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please leave a review in the appropriate section, letting me know what it is you thought of the chapter, and what I can do in future to improve. In the case that you _really_ enjoyed it, then please favourite and follow this story, in order to be among the first to read its conclusion, which I will deliver in two instalments tomorrow: One chapter in the morning, the next that very night.**

 **Again, thank you so much for reading, and I will see you tomorrow (Hopefully!) with the final two chapters of this fanfiction, the first of which sees Elias meet the Jedi for one final time.**

 **T-Rock14**


	21. Chapter 21: Ashes to Ashes

**Chapter 21: Ashes to Ashes...**

 _ **With Tails, Caleb, and Seth…**_

"Ah, about fucking time." Seth remarked as he stepped out of his cell, which had been opened through the masterful hacking of Tails. Eyeing Caleb, he said: "That my armour you've got?"

Caleb nodded and handed it to Seth, who made to head back into his cell to change, but turned back to them, asking: "You mind getting this mask off of my face?"

Tails and Caleb both obliged, pulling the mask off of Seth's face, jumping when they saw his condition: "You looked better with the mask off, buddy." Tails remarked.

Seth shrugged. He looked a right state, with his nose, lip, and head bleeding from various cuts that the mask had given him. "Blame the mask." He said. "Now could you possibly relieve me of my bonds?" He asked.

Tails saw to that, taking some water from his canteen and spilling them over Seth's manacles, which shorted out and fell uselessly to the floor.

Seth nodded, took his armour back from Caleb, and motioned for them to look away while he started to change, which they did.

Only for that to be the cue for Roman to come flying into the both of them, sending the trio sprawling.

"Morning!" Roman called out jokingly as he leapt to his feet and engaged Argo, who converged on him with surprising speed, throwing rights and lefts in an effort to pound Roman into submission.

Ducking and dodging where he could, Roman did the same, except he kicked at Argo's legs, particularly his left leg, in an effort to cut Argo down to his size and enable him to finish Argo off with a submission hold of some kind.

So far, these kicks had had no effect. Argo's legs were seemingly too thickly built for Roman's kicks to have any effect on them.

Seeing this, Tails made to try, except he kicked Argo directly in the back of the knee, seeing his results as for a moment, Argo's knee buckled.

Only for Argo to look at Tails, grab him, and fling him into the opposite wall, which he then sank down, the impact nearly driving him into unconsciousness.

Argo smirked in triumph, only for his knee to suddenly buckle beneath him again, as he felt another kick in the back of it. Going to one knee, he saw Roman appear right in front of him, peppering him with rights and lefts, wearing down Argo before attempting a fight-ending kick.

Only for Argo to catch his leg, and use it as leverage to swing Roman as hard as he could into the wall.

As with Tails, Roman was nearly knocked unconscious, but was brought back from that brink by Argo grabbing him by the throat and lifting him high above his head, before suddenly slamming Roman back down on the floor with a savage chokeslam. After that, his hand still around Roman's throat, he began to apply pressure, beginning to choke Roman, who instinctively began to kick and struggle.

Choking and gagging, Roman started to try and kick at Argo's knee, hoping it would buckle beneath the behemoth and enable Roman to catch his breath.

No such thing happened, and Argo applied more pressure.

Now Roman could feel the darkness begin to close in, but still he struggled, holding onto consciousness harder than he ever had, even harder than when Elias had nearly killed him during the Battle of Mobotropolis two years beforehand.

Argo grinned in savage glee, finally close to ending the life of the fox who had been nothing but a thorn in his side. Until he felt something pressed to his temple. It was the last thing he ever felt before the sound of a blaster shot sounded, and Argo's world went dark forever.

* * *

Lowering the blaster, Seth holstered it with a snarl of: "Block that, bitch." Looking to Roman, who was recovering, Seth walked up and knelt by Roman. "Not how you guessed our reunion was going to go, huh?" He asked.

Roman chuckled as he allowed himself to be helped up by Seth, the two friends sharing an embrace.

"Thanks for coming to rescue me." Seth said. "I know you risked a lot to do this, especially given you were ordered by Sally not to rescue me."

Roman scoffed. "I'd pick your sorry ass over Sally any day." I replied. "No offense to Sally, but she's not as close to me as you are. Remember that conversation we had on Coruscant, just before the Clone Wars started?"

"What, when you were off to Geonosis?" Seth inquired. "What about it?"

Roman folded his arms and said: "The thing that I've thought about the most when I thought about why I was doing this was what you told me that day. When you said to me that we were brothers. Brothers-"

"In all but blood." Seth finished. "Was that the only reason?"

Roman shook his head. "You've also got a kid on the way." I said. "Plus, Ahsoka needs you."

Seth chuckled before asking: "Speaking of Ahsoka, how is she?"

Roman made to respond before Roman heard a sudden shout of pain from nearby that he knew was Ashley. Seth realised it too, and the pair of them rushed to where she'd been duelling Alec, finding her on her back, shuffling away from Alec, who now had her sword as well as his own. It wasn't long before Roman saw that he'd slashed her across the leg, and deeply. Rage welled up within, and the vulpine Jedi drew his pistol, immediately opening fire.

Seth did as well, drawing both his pistols and firing on Alec, who upon realising reinforcements had arrived, dropped Ashley's sword and fled.

Lowering his pistol, Roman scowled. "Fucking coward." Roman growled as he ran over to Ashley, helping her up. "Can you walk?" Roman inquired.

Ashley nodded. "Yeah. I can still fight." She replied, taking a few uneasy steps on her wounded leg.

Rolling his eyes, Roman tore a few strips from her jumpsuit quickly, mainly around her abdominal area, and made a makeshift bandage for the wound, tying it around her leg. "There you go." Roman said.

Ashley nodded. "Thanks." She replied, limping over and retrieving her sword. Looking over to Seth, she smiled. "Morning, Seth."

"Morning to you too." Seth replied, before turning to Roman. "Now, about Ahsoka…"

As if on cue, Roman's comlink crackled back to life, as Blaze's voice broke through:

"Roman, if you've got Seth, you need to get back here pronto! Ahsoka's just hit nine centimetres. By my count, you've got about one hour to get back here so Seth can be here in time for the birth."

Roman scowled and said: "We're on our way." He said, before looking to Seth. "Ahsoka's fine, and she's here, but… she's in labour."

* * *

It wasn't long before Seth's eyes widened in horror. _"What?!"_ He exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. "It's too early, she's supposed to be due in a month!"

"Well, clearly your son or daughter had other ideas." Tails said as he joined them, alongside Caleb.

Roman placed a hand on Seth's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry too bad, bud. We have an hour before she actually starts giving birth. That gives us plenty of time."

Seth seemed to relax before he perked up once more. "My lightsaber." He said. "The Grand Inquisitor has it, and I'm not leaving without it."

Roman frowned. He'd have preferred to avoid combat with Elias, but it was a secondary objective of his, which he now had little choice but to accomplish. "Fine." he said. Looking to Ashley and Caleb, Roman told Caleb: "Get Ash back to the ship. Me, Seth and Tails will deal with Elias."

Ashley's face fell. "But-"

"No buts, Ash." Roman said. "As much as I'd prefer you to stay with me, Ahsoka needs you more than I do, right now. Plus, you need that leg looked at."

Ashley made to protest, but she nodded, realising Roman had a point. Walking over, Ashley kissed Roman as passionately as she could, knowing full well it could be the last they would share. Breaking the kiss, she looked deep into Roman's eyes, making her feelings known that way. No verbal exchange of words would do right now; their eyes made whatever statements needed to be made. Stepping away from Roman, she said: "Be careful." Before limping off.

Roman watched her go before looking to Caleb and saying: "You're in command until or if I get back. If me, Tails and Seth aren't back in an hour, don't wait. You get the fuck out of here."

Caleb frowned. "Ashley won't like this." He remarked.

"I know." Roman replied. "But I'd rather she hated me for doing this and still be alive, than her loving me and having died for it."

Caleb nodded understanding. "One hour." He repeated.

"One hour." Roman reiterated, before he, Seth and Tails turned and ran in a different direction. They had a Grand Inquisitor to find, and Roman had an idea as to how he could do that.

* * *

 _ **With Elias…**_

Elias was nearing the Prison block when his comlink came to life, an all too familiar voice coming through:

"Elias! I know you're here and you know I'm here!" Roman shouted. "If you have any balls at all, then come and face us!"

Elias smiled and said: "Very well. But we fight on _my_ terms. Come find me, if you dare." With that, he turned from his path and headed towards a room he knew would serve him well in the coming confrontation with Roman and his friends.

Both his lightsaber and the lightsaber that formerly belonged to the Third Brother hung on his hips, so Elias would not be caught unready for the obvious three on one fight he expected. Though he also had a third lightsaber on his belt, that which belonged to the Jedi Seth Kerran. He no doubt expected that the lightsaber was one of the reasons the Jedi wanted a direct confrontation, so that they could retrieve Seth's lightsaber, and kill Elias in the process. The fact of the matter was, Elias thought the Jedi were wasting their time. Seth could easily construct another lightsaber for himself.

Elias suddenly stopped to wonder: What if they had another reason for wanting to retrieve Seth's lightsaber? What if Seth wanted his weapon for another purpose other than using it against Elias? Pushing the thought aside, Elias walked on. Seth was a Jedi, and a Jedi needed a lightsaber. That was the only plausible explanation for Roman demanding that Elias face them.

Elias stopped as he found himself contacted by General Okada, who sounded fearful:

"Grand Inquisitor, Lord Vader just contacted us! He requests to speak with you personally."

Elias scowled. "Inform Lord Vader that I am otherwise occupied, and that I will contact him later once I am finished with what I am doing." With that, he cut the connection, and continued on his way.

* * *

 _ **The Main Bridge…**_

The colour drained from General Okada's face as he heard that last statement, as he turned fearfully to face the hologram of Lord Vader, who stood with his arms crossed.

"Is the Grand Inquisitor on his way?" Lord Vader asked, his tone suggesting that the general had best consider his words carefully.

Swallowing nervously, Okada announced: "Unfortunately, the Grand Inquisitor is busy dealing with some intruders at this time. He assures me that once these intruders are dealt with, he will contact you."

Vader's arms unfolded as his hands found his belt, on which a lightsaber hung. "Intruders?" Vader inquired.

Okada nodded. "Jedi, sir. They must have come on board in an effort to rescue their fellow comrade."

Vader fell silent, until all that could be heard was his breathing.

Okada drew in a sharp breath, imagining an invisible hand wrapping around his throat as Vader choked him to death.

Finally, Vader spoke: "Inform the Grand Inquisitor that there will be little need to contact me. I am on my way to Mobius _now."_ With that, Vader's image dissolved.

Okada took a few breaths before contacting the Grand Inquisitor: "Grand Inquisitor, Lord Vader has requested that I inform you that there will be little need to contact him. He is on his way to Mobius now." He heard a sharp intake of breath, as the Grand Inquisitor demanded:

"What did you tell him?!"

Okada's tone became impassive as he said: "The truth. There are other Jedi on this ship, are there not? Perhaps he is coming to take you to task for your failure."

The Grand Inquisitor could be heard swearing on the other end of the comm, before he replied: "Maybe. But by the time he arrives, you won't be around to see him." At that, the comlink cut.

Okada took a few steps back as he removed his hat, running his hand through his sweaty dark blonde hair before putting his hat back on, just as Colonel Stark appeared through the main door to the bridge.

"General, I've received reports that the rebels have been pinned down in the main hangar." Stark said. "It's only a matter of time before they're overwhelmed."

Okada nodded. "Good." He replied, before keying the intercom: "Attention all units. This is General Stannis Okada. Press your attack immediately. I want the Freedom Fighters dead within the hour."

* * *

 _ **With the Freedom Fighters, Main Hangar, 5:20 am…**_

"That didn't sound good!" Silver shouted as he levitated a nearby cluster of fuel cells and threw them at the oncoming Stormtroopers, sending them all up in a ball of flames and screams.

"Tell us something we _don't_ know, Silver!" Shadow snapped back in annoyance as he returned fire, catching a single Stormtrooper before being forced back into cover.

"Great, now we'll likely be dead within the hour." Cassian remarked dejectedly as he too fired back at the Stormtroopers, of which there seemed to be increasing numbers.

"We can't give up! _Keep up the firing!"_ Shatter shouted as he fired. He had since ran out of ammunition for his blaster rifle, and had since thrown it aside, opting for his dual pistols instead.

The same fate had befallen Tusk, who now was also stuck with his pistols.

Crankshaft was also fighting back, his programming doing its job as he fought as well as the clones.

Most unfortunately, E-123 Omega was no longer in the fight, as extensive damage had disabled him until such a time that they could repair him.

Suddenly, one of Cassian's men fell, his body shot full of blaster bolts.

"Bran!" Cassian shouted as he dropped down to see to his friend, grasping the man's hand.

Bran looked to Cassian and tried to say a few words, but they caught in his throat as he choked on his own blood.

Silver saw this and swore as he psychokinetically grabbed a pile of boxes and threw them at the Stormtroopers, just as an explosion suddenly threw several Stormtroopers off of their feet and sent them flying. Looking to the others, he realised it couldn't have been either of them, as none of them had any more explosives on them.

Then, Rouge, who was also looking around, saw what had caused the explosion. "Look!" She shouted.

Silver looked, and a grin found his face.

Fighting their way towards the shuttle were Ashley and Caleb, the former limping as if wounded, and the latter covering her as best he could. Turning to the others, Silver shouted: "I need covering fire!" Before sprinting out of cover towards them, throwing up a psychokinetic shield to protect them as they neared the shuttle. "Where are Roman, Tails and Seth?" Silver asked as they reached cover.

"Went off after the Grand Inquisitor." Ashley replied as she was helped behind cover. "He has Seth's lightsaber."

Silver swore under his breath before contacting Blaze: "Blaze, lower the ramp, we have wounded!"

* * *

 _ **With Blaze and Ahsoka…**_

Blaze swore under her breath at this. She wasn't overly keen on leaving Ahsoka at any point during such a crucial time, but she knew that it was needed. Looking to a wearied Ahsoka, she said: "Stay put and rest up. I'll be right back."

Ahsoka gave a pained nod, her entire face tight with pain. She was not in a good state. Her face's normally bright orange colour had lightened to a more sickly shade of orange, and her face glistened with sweat.

Blaze reluctantly left her and headed into the cockpit, where she hit the switch to lower the ramp, before gingerly walking down said ramp to find Silver with a wounded Ashley, who had a bloody makeshift bandage around her leg. Sighing, Blaze took her and helped her inside, sitting her down near Ahsoka, quickly running back into the cockpit and flipping the switch to bring the ramp back up. Then, she returned to her patients. "Where're the others?" She asked. "I only saw Caleb and you."

"Gone off after the Grand Inquisitor." Ashley replied. "He has Seth's lightsaber."

"Makes sense." Ahsoka groaned, her hands on her belly. "He always did say he wanted to give our baby his lightsaber when they were old en-"

She never finished, as a fresh contraction forced another scream out of her.

Blaze shook her head in frustration as she grabbed her medical kit and started quickly dealing with Ashley's leg wound, grabbing several strips of scotch tape and placing them over the wound to help keep it closed until such a time that she could stitch the wound up, and then wrapped a fresh dressing around it before returning to Ahsoka, quickly looking at the clock. It was almost half past five. If Roman, Seth and Tails did not retrieve Seth's lightsaber and defeat Elias in half an hour's time, they might not return in time to be present for the birth, something she was well aware Seth wanted to be present for.

"I wouldn't worry, Blaze." Ahsoka said with a weak, pained, but optimistic smile. "Seth somehow has a knack for impeccable timing." Just as another contraction shocked a scream out of her.

Ashley grabbed Ahsoka's free hand, holding it like she would were she shaking hands with someone. "It's the same with Roman." He said. "I'm sure they'll get here in time."

Blaze nodded appreciatively at Ashley's encouraging words. It was all she could do to keep her own spirits up.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile, Star Destroyer Devastator, Hyperspace…**_

The entire room fell silent as the doors to the bridge opened, enabling Darth Vader to stride in, his breathing serving as a herald to his arrival.

All eyes turned to the Dark Lord of the Sith, who eyed these with plain indifference before walking up to the main viewport of the ship, ignoring all the frightened whispers from junior officers that he passed. _Let them be scared,_ he thought. He preferred it that way, that people followed him out of fear rather than conviction. It was as his master, Emperor Palpatine, or otherwise known as Darth Sidious had said:

"People will always be afraid, Lord Vader. But rest assured, convictions can always change."

Vader now pushed the thought from mind and merely focused on the blue vortex of hyperspace, imagining it dissolving and revealing the planet of Mobius before them, as well as the three Star Destroyers he knew were there, with one of them showing signs of damage.

He had never been to Mobius before, but had heard many, many stories of it from Roman the Fox, when Vader had formerly been Anakin Skywalker. But that was a different time, a different person. Now, Vader was merely focused on doing what he intended to do: Arrive above Mobius, travel to the Star Destroyer where the Jedi were, and assist the Grand Inquisitor in executing them, if the Grand Inquisitor had not already done so.

And then he would kill him.

It was nothing personal. In fact, Vader often considered the Grand Inquisitor as one of the best Inquisitors he had trained. But even the best failed sometimes. And the Grand Inquisitor had failed.

This got Vader thinking: What if when he arrived, the Grand Inquisitor was already dead? What if, in his desire to avoid Vader's wrath for his failure, he had committed suicide?

Vader pushed this aside. The Grand Inquisitor would suffer his punishment with the honour and dignity with which he had served the Empire ever since its proclamation. At least, Vader expected him to.

A voice from behind drew Vader's attention:

"Lord Vader?"

Vader turned, and he saw several Inquisitors kneeling before him, flanked by Imperial Shadow Guards.

The foremost of the Inquisitors rose, and said: "We're ready, my lord." He was a young Pau'an in perhaps his middle thirties, with light grey skin and the golden eyes of a Dark Side user. His teeth were filed to points, and his face was decorated with blood red Sith tattoos. He wore the standard armour of the Inquisitors, albeit in a similar fashion the Grand Inquisitor. Or perhaps a direct twin of the attire.

Vader folded his arms. "Very good, Grand Inquisitor. Head down to the hangar bay and await me in my shuttle. I will join you once we have arrived over Mobius."

The Pau'an Inquisitor nodded, and headed out, leading the rest of the Inquisitors off of the bridge, flanked by the Shadow Guards.

Vader again returned to looking out of the viewport, He would remain there until he arrived on Mobius.

* * *

 _ **With Roman, Seth and Tails…**_

The trio found themselves in the reactor room, having sensed Elias was somewhere close by. Looking around, Roman barely had time to look around when he heard a voice say:

"Looking for someone?"

Roman turned, and found himself staring towards his target.

Elias stood in the middle of a bridge connecting the platform Roman, Tails and Seth were on to the main control hub in the middle.

Spreading out his arms, Elias looked around and eyed Roman: "Feel familiar?"

Memories of Elias fatally stabbing and murdering King Acorn and his own fall flowed through Roman's mind, but he pushed it down as he stepped onto the bridge. "You got something that belongs to my friend here!" Roman called out, gesturing to Seth. "He'd like it back."

"Oh, you mean this?" Elias asked, reaching behind him and raising the object of Roman's request: Seth's one remaining lightsaber. "And why might I want to do that?" He asked.

Roman scowled. "One last fight." He replied.

Elias' face curled into a smile as he nodded. "Fair enough. Catch!" At this, he threw the lightsaber into the air between them.

Reaching out with the Force, Roman caught it, pulling it towards him and handing it to Seth. With that done, all three Jedi ignited their lightsabers, two blue and one green blade flaring to life.

Elias smiled and took both his own lightsaber and that of the now deceased Third Brother from his belt, and ignited both, the crimson blades painting his visage a demonic red as he removed his mask, throwing it aside. Spinning his lightsabers, Elias held them in front of him in an 'X' like pose, before bringing them to his sides as he tensed up into a battle stance. "Shall we begin?" He asked.

Roman, Seth and Tails all eyed each other, and together, the trio charged Elias, as the Grand Inquisitor moved to meet them. The two sides met in a flash of red, green and blue.

* * *

 _ **The Main Hangar…**_

"Incoming!" Caleb shouted as a heavy blaster was brought upon their position, raking it like a plough through a field.

One of Cassian's men wasn't so lucky, taking several shots before he flew back, dying.

Cassian ran over as best he could, and knelt down, recognising the dying man as Wexley.

"Looks like I let you down again, boss." Wexley said in-between sounds of choking.

Cassian shook his head and said: "You died fighting, Wexley. That's not letting me down. That's making me proud. Proud to call you a member of my crew."

Wexley nodded before he let out one last gasp, before he finally lay still.

Cassin sighed and folded the man's hands over his abdomen. For all his faults, Wexley had been a faithful member of his crew, and deserved a decent burial. Cassian decided he'd take the body to Wexley's family, and stand with them as they gave him a funeral.

He was driven from his mournful thoughts as Caleb grabbed him, saying: "Take cover!"

Cassian shook his head and left Wexley's body where it lay, returning to cover as he fired back.

The heavy blaster had stopped firing whilst it cooled down, granting everyone a brief reprieve from its heavy fire whilst they returned fire against the Imperial Stormtroopers. Any thermal detonators or grenades that were thrown by the Stormtroopers were thrown back, and any blaster fire the Imperials fired at them, was returned in kind, with a hail of blaster fire from the Freedom Fighters.

While all this was happening, Silver contacted Blaze: "How are things in there, Blaze?" He asked.

"Better than they were." Blaze replied. "I'm still worried about whether Roman and the others will get here in time. Both Ashley and Ahsoka assure me they will, but with every passing minute, I'm not so sure!"

Silver sighed. "Have more faith Blaze. They'll be here."

Blaze was silent before replying: "I hope you're right. For mine, and Ahsoka's sakes."

Silver nodded before ending the communication and psychokinetically throwing a few boxes at the Stormtroopers. He too hoped that Roman, Seth and Tails would get here soon. He was just a little more confident that they would be.

* * *

 _ **With Elias, Roman, Seth and Tails…**_

Any passer-by would be forgiven if they thought the flashes of green, blue and red were just flashes of energy. When in reality, they were the flashes of clashing lightsabers, as Roman, Seth and Tails continuously attacked Elias

The four were currently in the main control hub of the reactor room, Elias standing right in the middle, with Roman, Seth and Tails attacking from all angles.

Roman backed away from one of Elias' counterattacks before attacking once again, slashing at Elias' midsection in an effort to bisect the Grand Inquisitor into two separate halves.

Using one of his lightsabers, Elias blocked, whilst using the other to stab at his face, disengaging the one he had blocked Roman's blow with in order to defend against another attack, this time from Seth.

Roman backed away as he parried the blow, but jumped on in today, lashing out with a vicious kick that threw Elias temporarily off balance, allowing Tails to strike, cutting into Elias' back across his right shoulder.

Elias shouted in pain before drawing all of the Force energy he could muster into himself, unleashing it with a massive Force Repulse, one that threw all three Jedi back.

Luckily, the platform they were on was meant to have large groups of people on it, and so none of them fell to their deaths.

Seth nearly did though, dropping his lightsaber a few metres away as he toppled over the edge, barely managing to grab on as he held on for dear life.

Elias saw this and looked between himself, Roman and Tails. "Now three becomes two." He said menacingly.

Both Roman and Tails launched their attacks, and Elias blocked them all, nearly killing both Tails and Roman with his counterattacks.

Kicking Tails away, Elias focused then on Roman, whose defences he tested using one lightsaber, and the other to penetrate said defences.

To his credit, Roman defended all of said attacks, before he suddenly felt himself kicked back as Elias engaged Tails.

"It's funny." Elias remarked as he and Tails fought. "The first time we fought, _you_ were the one with two lightsabers. Now the roles are reversed."

"Not so much that I can't beat you." Tails replied as he attacked, using the quick and aggressive blade-work of Ataru, the fourth form of lightsaber combat.

Elias blocked all of said attacks before suddenly switching off one of his lightsabers, throwing Tails off guard as the twin-tailed Jedi swung down, lashed out with a savage knee to Tails' temple before reaching out, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, and smashing the butt of his right hand lightsaber over Tails' head, hard enough that it knocked Tails out cold. With that, he threw Tails back, out of the fight. Turning, he found himself once more alone with Roman, at which he smiled. "And then there was one." Elias said, an unpleasant smile crossing his face.

* * *

 _ **With General Okada and Colonel Stark…**_

"General, just got a communique from the Devastator." Stark said, walking up. "They're almost here. ETA, fifteen minutes."

General Okada nodded his thanks and continued pacing the room, just as Frederick the Cat appeared, with his henchman Alec Devron Otranto at his side. "Where've you been?" Okada demanded.

"Gathering evidence of a horrible crime." Frederick remarked. "I've been looking for the Grand Inquisitor for quite some time now, and when I called upon him in his quarters, all I found are the bodies of Colonel Aryn and the Third Brother."

Okada's eyes widened. "The Grand Inquisitor… did he…"

"Kill the colonel?" Frederick finished. "No. That was the Third Brother's handiwork. Stabbed her multiple times in the abdomen before finishing her off with a lightsaber to the chest. The Grand Inquisitor found him there and executed the Third Brother for his crime, from what I can ascertain."

Okada nodded. "And where is he now?" the general asked.

"Likely dealing with the Jedi." Frederick replied. "It is his job, after all."

Okada smiled. "At least they're being dealt with." He remarked. He noted the absence of Frederick's other henchman, the one they named Argo. "Where's your foul smelling friend?" He asked.

"Dead." Alec said. "The Jedi killed him whilst freeing their comrade."

Okada frowned. "Well, you'd best head down to the hangar bay. Our troops could use some assistance."

"My place is with Mr Frederick here, with all due respect." Alec replied. "Not down on the front lines with that white armoured cannon-fodder you call soldiers."

Okada bristled at the insolence on Alec's tone, but held his own tongue, knowing if he made his anger known, it could end with Alec's sword in-between his ribs.

* * *

 _ **With Roman and Elias…**_

Throwing Elias back with a Force Push, Roman drove the Grand Inquisitor onto the bridge behind him, charging to press his attack.

Elias intercepted Roman's strike with both of his lightsabers and kicked Roman back, countering with a feint towards Roman's stomach before lunging for Roman's chest.

Roman sidestepped the attack, tripping up Elias as he did before spinning his lightsaber and bringing it down on Elias.

The Grand Inquisitor, with surprising speed, sat up and suddenly jumped, his momentum carrying him into a forward roll which, upon him getting up from, he realised had given Roman time to attack.

And so Roman did, feinting towards Elias' chest before suddenly turning his lightsaber away from the attack and slashing at Elias' throat, hoping to behead Elias at most, or cut his throat.

Elias backed away, blocking the blow with ease as he landed a brutal kick that nearly knocked Roman off of the side of the bridge.

Barely stopping himself from doing so, Roman nearly failed to duck Elias' attempt to behead him, countering by switching off his lightsaber, and punching Elias in the gut, following it up with a stiff left uppercut that sent Elias back a number of paces, adding a fierce Force Push that sent Elias back another few feet, back into the middle of the control hub. Using the Force to push him forwards, he leapt into the air, lightsaber raised and at the ready to cut Elias down the middle.

Elias barely dodged the blow, watching as Roman slashed through the control panel Elias had used to get back up, cutting it completely in two. Seizing the opening, Elias moved to stab Roman in the side with both lightsabers.

Ripping his lightsaber free of the panel just in time, Roman was able to parry the attack, kicking Elias back a number of paces before launching a fresh attack, pounding away at Elias' defences before finally knocking one of his lightsabers askew and slashing through the hilt, rendering the weapon useless.

Now back to his standard single lightsaber, Elias and Roman squared off once again.

"Now we're even." Roman said as he charged to attack Elias.

* * *

 _ **With Blaze, Ahsoka and Ashley, 5:45 am…**_

Another scream escaped Ahsoka as a fresh contraction raked her nervous system. Before this, she had thought she knew pain. She had injured limbs, been shot, been stabbed, and suffered other injuries besides. But nothing could compare to how she was feeling right now, which was as if a lightsaber was slowly cutting her in two, while her uterus crushed everything else into sawdust. "How much fucking longer?" She sobbed. She was tired of the pain, tired of the waiting. She wanted Seth, and she wanted him soon.

Blaze rubbed her hand soothingly over Ahsoka's swollen belly whilst gazing worriedly at the clock. It was now fifteen minutes until she had told Roman that Ahsoka would be ready to start delivering the baby. As well, she had learned from a saddened Ashley that Roman had given them that time period before they were to leave him and the other Jedi behind.

Ashley was also eyeing the clock. _Please, Roman, please,_ she thought. The only other time she felt as powerless to help Roman as she was feeling now was when Elias had supposedly killed him during the sack of Mobotropolis. Nothing could have prepared her for that. And now she was worried that somewhere, Roman and the other Jedi were dying, alone and unloved.

A fresh scream from Ahsoka forced Ashley to put on a brave face for the labouring Togruta. "Don't worry, Ahsoka." Ashley said. "Like you said, the boys have impeccable timing."

"Well, that impeccable timing of theirs had better come up soon, or we're going to need to get the fuck out of here whilst delivering the baby, with or without them." Blaze said.

"Have faith, Blaze." Ahsoka moaned in-between sharp intakes of breath. "Remember what Silver told you earlier."

Blaze turned to Ahsoka and nodded. "I'm trying." She replied. "But sooner or later, we're going to need to face facts: That impeccable timing you said they had might not work this time around."

Ahsoka suddenly seized Blaze's hand, startling the pyrokinetic cat and eliciting a small cry of pain from her. "We can't give up yet, Blaze!" Ahsoka snapped, barely forcing down a cry of pain from a fresh contraction. "I am _this_ fucking close to seeing my boyfriend again, and I won't have people like you trying to convince me it's not going to happen!" Ahsoka glared at Blaze fiercely before adding: "Fifteen minutes. All I'm asking is that you have faith for the next fifteen minutes until you said I'd be fully dilated. Then, and _only_ then, will I start facing the facts."

Blaze looked surprised. Despite her obvious pain, Ahsoka was suppressing it just enough for her to make her voice known. No wonder Roman and Seth called her one of the toughest people they'd ever met.

* * *

 _ **With Roman and Elias…**_

Roman rolled back as he fell back against Elias' onslaught, readying himself for Elias' oncoming attack, as the Grand Inquisitor raised his lightsaber up high, preparing to bring it down upon Roman's shoulder.

Roman intercepted Elias' oncoming strike and pushed him away, launching a counterattack, with an overhead slash meant to divide Elias in two vertically.

Elias parried the blow, and countered with a left hook that he augmented with the Force, sending Roman flying back a few paces.

Getting to his feet, Roman blocked the blow that would have severed his head from his neck, and parried another that would have slashed him across the torso, retaliating with a left hand of his own to Elias' jaw, knocking him to the side. Pressing his offensive, Roman crosscut for Elias' torso, but this was blocked. Growing frustrated, Roman launched his next attack, which involved a mixture of stabs and slashes, ending with an attempt to slash at Elias' legs with the intent of removing said limbs.

Elias parried all of the attacks save for the slash to his legs, countering this by jumping over Roman as the blow nearly struck, and responded with a slash at the back of Roman's neck.

The vulpine Jedi spun to meet his strike, blocking it and locking their blades. It was now that Roman noticed that Seth had gotten up, and was prepared to attack Elias from behind.

Unfortunately, Elias noticed as well, and pushed Roman away long enough to push Seth back with another Force Push, one that knocked him back over the control panels. With that, Elias returned to Roman, who chose now to attack, catching Elias off balance with his immediate attack.

Roman commenced the attack with a brutal kick to Elias, chest, pushing Elias back a few paces before spinning around like a dervish, crosscutting for Elias' throat, a blow that was barely dodged by the Grand Inquisitor.

Roman refused to stop, battering at Elias' defences like artillery pounding enemy positions, finally kicking Elias back sufficiently for a possible killing blow, one he launched into, drawing back his lightsaber as he stabbed at Elias.

Elias parried the blow and kicked Roman back, deciding now was as good a time as any to finish the fight. Spinning his lightsaber again, Elias whirled around like a dervish, slashing at Roman in a manner that could be countered, and needed to be countered for Elias' plan to work.

Roman parried, and countered by slashing at Elias' head, hoping to slice it in two like fruit.

Jumping back, Elias ducked the next attack, and lashed out with his foot, kicking Roman's lightsaber out of his hand. With a triumphant roar, Elias slashed down at Roman, his blade slashing deeply into Roman's shoulder, from the base of his neck down to the middle of his shoulder joint, where the arm fitted into the socket.

Roman shouted in pain as he staggered back, grasping his wound, unaware of Elias' incoming kick, which brought him to his knees upon its making contact.

Spinning his lightsaber, Elias drew it back, preparing to drive it through Roman's heart and end the vulpine's life once and for all.

Roman closed his eyes and spread out his arms, welcoming his end as wholeheartedly as he could.

Only for the sound of two lightsabers igniting to come to his ears. Opening his eyes, Roman's eyes widened as he saw Seth, now holding both his own and Roman's lightsabers in his hands, begin to attack Elias, lightsabers flashing.

* * *

 _ **With Caleb and the others…**_

Caleb checked his watch as oncoming blaster fire thudded into the crate he was taking cover behind, frowning worriedly. It was now ten minutes till six o'clock in the morning, leaving just ten minutes for Roman, Tails and Seth to complete their sub-mission to retrieve Seth's lightsaber and defeat Elias before Caleb set in motion what Roman had ordered: Which was the immediate exfil of everyone but Roman, Seth and Tails. Not precisely his ideal ending to the mission. Turning to everyone else, Caleb shouted: "Ten minutes! Then we get the fuck out of here!"

"What about Roman, Seth and Tails?" Cassian shouted.

"Roman's orders." Caleb said. "Ten more minutes, and we leave without him!"

Cassian was silent for a few seconds before snarling: "Oh, fuck!"

"Not my ideal ending, either!" Caleb replied. "But I guess Roman would prefer we all hated him but were alive to do so, rather than we love him and die doing so!" Caleb paused before adding: "His words, not mine."

Cassian frowned but continued firing, albeit with a heavy heart. He wasn't overly enthusiastic about having to leave Roman and his friends behind if they failed to appear within ten minutes. But if it kept him alive, then that was something he was prepared to do.

* * *

 _ **With Blaze, Ahsoka and Ashley…**_

"Ahsoka!" Blaze said, after examining Ahsoka once more.

"What?" Ahsoka shouted in reply, her voice hoarse after so much screaming.

"I've got good news and bad news." Blaze reported.

"Well, what is it?" Ahsoka asked.

"The good news is; you're fully dilated, and ready to start pushing. The bad news is: Seth, Roman and Tails aren't back yet."

"We still have ten minutes." Ahsoka replied. "If I can hold the baby in for that amount of time, then that's what I'm willing to do."

Blaze shook her head. "The contractions will do that for you." She said. "If we're going to do this, then we really need to get started now."

Ahsoka sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, Blaze was right. She couldn't delay the baby any longer. The baby wanted out, regardless of whether his or her father was there to witness it. Nodding sadly, she prepared herself by manoeuvring herself into a comfortable position.

Blaze prepared herself by grabbing the necessary tools for a delivery, such as some towels, which she laid beneath Ahsoka. Then she quickly grabbed some hand sanitiser and rubbed it into her hands to clean them both, for she risked the lives of both mother and child if she performed the delivery with dirty hands. Then, she grabbed a few surgical tools for if she needed to do anything to counteract any complications that may or may not occur during the birth.

As this was occurring, Ashley gripped Ahsoka's hand fiercely as both readied themselves. "Even if Seth's not here for this, we're here for you. Me and Blaze both." Ashley said.

Ahsoka nodded. "At least I'm not giving birth alone." She reiterated.

Ashley repeated the nod, and gripped her hand tightly.

Blaze knelt down in front of Ahsoka, and nodded. "Ready?" She asked.

Ahsoka nodded, and spread open her legs. "Ready." She said.

"Then on three." Blaze said. "One, two, three, push!"

Ahsoka gritted her teeth and did just that, feeling a steady buildup of pain within her abdomen as she pushed.

Blaze counted to ten as Ahsoka pushed, before saying: "And stop."

Ahsoka stopped and took a breather.

"On the next contraction; you push again, got it?" Blaze said.

Ahsoka nodded, and waited for said contraction to hit, before she started pushing again.

Only this time, Blaze became painfully aware that something was wrong. What she saw was _not_ the baby's head, which gave Blaze only one other idea of what was wrong.

The baby was in the breech position.

* * *

 _ **With Roman, Seth, Tails and Elias…**_

Roman could only watch as Seth attacked Elias, forcing Elias back under the audacity of his assault.

Seth seemed to have used the ten or so days he had been in captivity to chiefly recover from the injuries he had suffered during the mission to rescue Caleb, and as a result, he was fighting as if he had never been injured.

Elias defended as best he could against Seth's attacks, but found himself driven back as Seth pressed his advantage. If there was one thing he begrudgingly respected Seth Kerran for, it was his mastery of using two lightsabers. Then again, that was something he expected for someone like Seth, who just so happened to be ambidextrous. Finally, he tired of defending himself, and lashed out with a small Force Push, small enough to throw Seth off balance, an action he exploited by launching his assault upon Seth, his fiercest assault yet, combining his knowledge of Makashi with his expertise in Juyo and Djem So, the three forms he had become extremely proficient in: Jabs and stabs at Seth with Makashi, complete and utter aggression through Juyo, and vicious counterattacks for any counters Seth attempted using Djem So.

Seth blocked all of these attacks, using his knowledge of Soresu to its maximum as he blocked and parried a variety of heavy blows that would have left any ordinary man in pieces. But Seth was no ordinary man, he was Seth Kerran of Mandalore, Jedi Padawan, and former pupil of Obi Wan Kenobi, the undisputed master of Soresu. He allowed himself to be driven back, all whilst stone-walling Elias' offence like the Grand Inquisitor's lightsaber was merely a toothpick. He did this as to allow him the correct amount of space between him and the control panels he knew to be behind him, which he could then use to turn the fight around, a tactic he had mastered when it came to lightsaber duels.

Finally, he was at the distance he liked, and broke away, running towards the main hub.

Elias followed, lightsaber at the ready for anything Seth tried;

Save for Seth's breath-taking backflip off of the control panel he had climbed onto, landing himself behind Elias, who yet again found himself off balance. "Surprise, motherfucker!" Seth shouted as he attacked, having retaken the advantage.

Roman, who was watching this, nodded approvingly, saying: "Keep going, Seth!"

Seth intended to, as his lightsabers crashed again and again against Elias' defences, until they began to weaken.

Both Seth and Elias realised this, and responded accordingly, hacking and slashing at each other like their lives depended on it, which it did, particularly for Elias.

Finally, Elias found a brief reprieve, finding himself and Seth in a blade-lock. As they pushed against one another, Elias eyed Seth's face, and an idea came to mind. It was a disgusting, vile idea, but it was an idea that could just about work. Pushing himself out of the blade lock, he lunged forward, grabbing Seth by the head and pulling him closer, before grabbing Seth's left ear with his teeth and biting down.

Shouting in pain, Seth dropped Roman's lightsaber as he reached up to Elias' face, grabbing at it in an effort to get him off.

Elias felt a severe sense of nausea as he tasted Seth's blood, but he held on, and eventually pulled away, tearing off some of Seth's ear along with it.

Seth staggered back, clutching his affected ear, his eyes widening as his hand came away bloody.

Elias merely spat out the piece of ear he currently had in his mouth, before launching his attack.

Seth defended as best he could, gripping his lightsaber with both hands as he did so, but Elias suddenly grabbed at Seth's maimed ear and tugged on it, disorienting Seth to a significant degree.

Seizing his opening, Elias smashed Seth's lightsaber aside, spinning his lightsaber around several times before slashing across Seth's chest twice, once from shoulder to hip, then across his stomach area, before finally driving his lightsaber up to the hilt into Seth's chest.

" _ **NO!"**_ Roman howled as Elias tore his blade from Seth's chest, watching as he staggered back, before toppling backwards onto the floor.

Elias watched this with a hint of indifference before turning to Roman, and smiling. His lips and teeth were still bloody from biting off part of Seth's ear, which gave Elias a gruesomely vampire-like appearance, when coupled with his golden eyes.

Roman looked down at where Seth lay, and then back up at Elias. His breath came in long ragged gasps as an emotion welled up within him, an emotion he seldom felt, and one he had not felt since Frederick had shot Ashley two and a half years earlier: Rage.

Ignoring the protests of the wound to his shoulder, Roman called his lightsaber to his hand, ignited it, and with a savage roar, hurled himself at Elias.

The force of Roman's inaugural blow forced Elias back a few paces as he and Roman moved across the bridge, ending up in the middle.

Breaking the blade lock, Roman immediately barrelled into his attack, hacking at Elias like a woodsman chopping down wood.

Elias defended as best he could, but his defences were failing against the sheer fury of Roman's attack. As with Seth, he'd have to try something drastic, which he did, driving his fist full force into Roman's shoulder wound.

It had the desired effect, as the resultant rush of pain forced Roman to drop his lightsaber, finding himself at Elias' mercy.

"First Kerran, now you…" Elias said as he drew back for a coup de grace. He was interrupted when another voice shouted his name:

" _ **ELIAS!"**_

Elias barely had time to back away as out of nowhere, Tails leapt over Roman and attacked Elias, his Ataru attacks catching Elias completely by surprise.

The two combatants stopped briefly, as Tails snarled: "You've killed enough people today. I'm not about to let you kill my best friend, too."

Elias scowled. "Pity. Because that's no longer _your_ decision to make!" With this, he launched himself at Tails, who stood ready for him.

* * *

 _ **With Roman…**_

 _Oh no, not Tails too…_ Roman thought as he saw Tails and Elias begin their duel in earnest. He had been helpless to prevent what had happened to Seth, what difference would Tails make?

He turned to where Seth lay motionless, and felt determination fill him. He would _not_ allow Tails to suffer Seth's fate. Tails was _his_ padawan, and his friend also. Allowing this determination to fuel him, Roman once again got to his feet, grabbed his lightsaber, and charged Elias, joining Tails in his furious attack of Elias.

Masterfully, Elias managed to parry the majority of the attacks the two foxes made against him, but he quickly recognised his fatigue. The prolonged nature of his duel was tiring him out. Drawing on the Force, he managed a brief burst of counter-offence, but a sudden kick to the back of his knee put an end to that.

With a yell, Roman smashed Elias' lightsaber aside, before Tails' lightsaber slashed right through Elias' hand, leaving him unarmed completely.

Elias barely had time to scream in agony for the loss of his hand before Tails suddenly front flipped over him. The next thing Elias knew of Tails' presence was a large blue blade bursting through his abdomen.

With a cry that was part elation part fury, Roman drove his lightsaber up to the hilt into Elias' chest.

Elias' face fell as he looked down at the blade protruding from his stomach, as well as the lightsaber buried up to the hilt in his chest. Falling to his knees, Elias felt both lightsabers being evicted from his body like rent-avoiding tenants as he heard loud explosions beneath him. Looking down, he saw that something, perhaps his still-ignited lightsaber, had fallen into the main reactor, causing an explosion, and the imminent destruction of the Star Destroyer they were on. Looking up at Roman, Elias smiled painfully. "You think this is over?" He demanded. Shaking his head, Elias croaked: "You have no idea what you have just started. From here, it will only get worse." With that, his strength finally failed, and he toppled to his side and rolled onto his back.

So ended the life of the Grand Inquisitor, formerly known as Prince Elias Acorn, would-be king of the Kingdom of Acorn.

Roman watched the life drain from Elias before deactivating his lightsaber and running over to Seth, Tails not too far behind. Kneeling by Seth, Roman said: "We need to get him out of here."

Tails nodded. "It's what we came for." He replied before the room shook, as further explosions rocked it. The Star Destroyer was going to go up.

Roman saw this before saying: "Come on." And as best he could, what with his wounded shoulder, lifted Seth up and began helping him away.

As if on cue, Seth regained consciousness, turning to Roman. "I'm not gonna make it, Rome. Just get out of here." He croaked.

"Not a chance, Seth." Roman replied as he quickened his pace. "No-one gets left behind."

* * *

 **I told you I'd see you tomorrow :)**

 **Anyways, not much to say here except as usual: Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then leave a review in the appropriate section, informing me of what it was that you enjoyed, and what it was that you think I can do better. In the event that you really enjoyed it, then I invite you to favourite and follow this story, so that you will be among the first to read the final chapter, and the end to this story.**

 **Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you tonight with the next chapter, which will bring an end to this heroic tale.**

 **T-Rock14**


	22. Chapter 22: Dust to Dust

**Chapter 22: Dust to Dust**

 _ **Main Hangar Bay, 6:00 am…**_

Caleb was just about to give the order to get into the shuttle when his comlink came to life, with Roman's voice coming through:

"Caleb, this is Roman! Be advised, we are coming in hot!"

Caleb breathed a sigh of relief as he said: "Is he dead?"

"Caleb, I can officially say that your daughter has been avenged. Elias is dead." Roman replied. "On a more serious note, both me and Seth are wounded. Seth will need _immediate_ medical attention, as his wounds are life threatening."

Caleb frowned and said: "Haul ass, then. Get him here, and we can all get out of here."

"Will do. Roman out." Roman said.

Caleb allowed himself to relax before contacting Blaze: "Blaze, I got good news and bad news! Good news is, Roman. Seth and Tails are on the way. The bad news is, Seth is critically wounded. He _will_ need urgent medical attention."

"I'm doing what I can here, Caleb. Things have gotten pretty complicated." Blaze replied.

"In what way?" Caleb inquired.

Blaze sighed. "The baby's in the breech position, which'll make this a lot harder than it should be. Thankfully, the worst has passed, and the baby's nearly out."

Caleb scowled. The birth of his grandson Eren had been a breech delivery, and had nearly killed his daughter. "Do what you can. But right now, I want the ramp lowered. Roman, Seth and Tails will likely want a quick exit."

"Understood." Blaze replied. Within a few seconds, the ramp began lowering.

Turning to the others, Caleb shouted: "Get in! Go, go, go!"

The people all obliged, and once the ramp was lowered, they began to enter the ship.

Silver was the last of this first wave of people to get into the shuttle, calling out to Blaze: "I'll get the ship warmed up!" As he entered.

Meanwhile, Caleb and the clones were now putting up a rear-guard, awaiting the arrival of Roman, Seth and Tails.

"Any minute now would be fucking nice!" Tusk shouted.

Caleb was about to mutter agreement, when suddenly, a familiar voice shouted:

" _ **HEY!"**_

Caleb looked towards the voice, and his heart lifted.

Running as best they could towards Caleb and the clones, carrying a clearly wounded Seth between them, were Roman and Tails.

* * *

"Cover fire!" Caleb shouted as he leapt from cover, laying down fire for the Jedi's approach. As they drew closer, Caleb got a glimpse of Seth's wounds:

Two slashes, one from shoulder to hip, and the other across his abdomen, a stab wound that looked potentially fatal, and half of Seth's ear was missing, the other half being covered with dried blood.

Shaking his head, Caleb shouted: "Get him inside!"

Roman obliged, while Tails bounded on inside, finding himself greeted by the moans of pain from Ahsoka. "Get the ramp up!" Roman shouted over this. "And get us the fuck out of here!"

"On it!" Tails called out from the cockpit. Within moments, the entire group felt the ship lifting into the air and flying off.

As if on cue, a familiar sound came to Roman's ears:

The sound of a newborn baby crying.

* * *

His head snapped towards the scene, as did Seth, whose eyes were wide and brimming with tears.

Blaze looked over at the pair with a smile. "Just in time, as well." She said.

Seth pushed Roman away as he staggered towards Blaze, his mouth struggling to form words. "Is… is it okay?"

Ahsoka, who by now was holding her newborn child, looked up at Seth and nodded. "She's beautiful."

"It's a girl?" Seth asked as a multitude of emotions rushed through him: Joy, happiness, love, he could name them all.

Seth took a few more steps towards Ahsoka and their newborn daughter, when he suddenly keeled over, hitting the floor near Ahsoka.

Roman's eyes widened at this, as he scrambled over to Seth, helping him up and lying him down next to Ahsoka.

Blaze immediately got to checking his wounds, Roman close by.

"How is it?" He asked.

Blaze sighed. "He's fading. But if I work fast, I'll-"

Seth stopped her with a raised hand, before his head turned up to Ahsoka, motioning with his hands. "Give her here." He said faintly.

Blaze shook her head. "Seth, we've got to save-"

Seth pushed Blaze back as he forced himself into a sitting position, motioning for Ahsoka to hand him their newborn daughter.

Ahsoka obliged, handing the still bloody baby into Seth's arms.

The moment he laid eyes on his daughter, Seth let out a choked sob.

* * *

As he and Ahsoka had figured, their daughter was mixed race, a cross between human and Togruta, having inherited her mother's skin, but not the markings or montrals, instead having human ears. Seth imagined she'd have his hair. Grimacing in pain, his breath starting to grow ragged, Seth said: "Just like you." He said.

Roman watched this scene just as a loud explosion could be heard, and he felt the ship veer left. Turning away and entering the cockpit, Roman looked out of the side window, smiling as he saw what had happened.

The Star Destroyer they had only just been on had now exploded, likely killing everyone on board. _Good riddance to bad rubbish,_ Roman thought, just as Tails exclaimed in shock, to which Roman looked to the right, scowling as he saw a new Star Destroyer had arrived, fresh out of hyperspace. Considering who Elias had been planning on journeying to meet, Roman already had an idea who was on board:

Vader.

He was driven from this when he heard a loud thud, followed by a gasp, as Ashley suddenly burst in.

"Roman, Tails, you need to come now." She said. Sighing, she added: "It's Seth." Her eyes told him the rest.

Roman's face fell as he registered this information, before he and Tails stepped out of the cockpit, to find a scene he had long wished he'd never seen.

Seth was now lying on the floor, with Ahsoka having knelt down and joined him.

* * *

Blaze was standing a bit away, holding Seth and Ahsoka's newborn daughter, who was crying herself.

Seth saw Roman and Tails, and forced himself to sit up, despite the obvious pain it took him to do so. "Get over here." He said.

Roman quickly obliged, gripping Seth's hand. "We're here, Seth." He said.

Seth's breath now came in strained, ragged gasps as he held onto life as tightly as possible. "Looks like this is a one-way trip for me, bud." He said weakly.

Roman shook his head, forcing tears back as he said: "Hold on, Seth. Your daughter needs you."

Seth let out a small breath as he said: "I know." He started coughing heavily, before falling back again.

Roman looked up at Ahsoka, whose eyes were shut against tears which fell anyway, dripping down on Seth's ruined chest.

Seth reached out with the last of his strength and brushed his hand against Ahsoka's cheek, chuckling as he said: "Don't cry, 'Soka. Soon, I'll be one with the Force."

Ahsoka shook her head. "I don't want you to become one with the Force!" She sobbed. "I want you to be alive. With me, and our daughter. Where you belong."

Seth laid his head back, as he said: "I don't have a choice." He said. "My time has come."

Roman's fury rose as he snarled: "Don't you fucking say that, Seth! There's always a fucking choice!" At this point, tears were also falling, which intensified as Seth said:

"Not this time…" He replied. His grip weakened as his strength began to desert him. His breath becoming more and more ragged, Seth gathered enough to say: "Promise me something, Roman."

Gripping Seth's hand harder, Roman asked: "Anything, Seth. Anything."

Seth's grip grew firmer as he said: "Promise me that you'll protect my daughter… Promise me you'll be the father I could never be."

Roman choked back a sob at this. He wanted to refuse, wanted to beg Seth to hold on until they could get him medical attention, but he knew it was too late. Bowing his head, Roman said: "I promise, Seth. I promise."

Seth nodded, and with his final breath, he whispered: "Thank you…" And just like that, his eyes closed as his head lolled back, his arms grew slack, and fell to the floor.

Seth Kerran, the friend Roman had risked so much for, was dead.

* * *

Roman blinked as he saw this, before his mouth fell open. His breath grew as laboured as Seth's had been just before he died, and his mouth opened, trying to form words that refused to come out. Until finally, the tears came flooding out, and Roman slumped onto his back, letting out a choked sob and a cry of _"No!"_ as he finally burst into tears.

Ahsoka did the same, except she pressed her forehead against the head of Seth, her tears dripping upon his face.

As if she sensed what had just happened, Ahsoka's daughter began crying as well, saddened to no end that she no longer had a father, despite having known him mercifully for the last minutes of his life.

The depressing mood was infectious, and soon, everyone else was either crying or trying not to cry.

Tails only caught a glimpse through the tears he was crying, but he could swear that he saw Shadow shedding a tear as well, in a rare sign of emotion for the obsidian hedgehog.

It was five painful minutes before Roman finally sat up, his eyes puffy and bloodshot from so much crying. He was _still_ crying. With this, he looked at Blaze, who seemed to be crying for a different reason.

"I could have saved him." Blaze sobbed. "This is all my fault."

"No it isn't." Roman said, getting up. Looking at Seth's body, Roman said: "I should have sent him with Ashley and Caleb." Before walking to the ladder that led to the downstairs and climbing down it. Right now, all he wanted was to be alone.

* * *

 _ **At the same time, Star Destroyer Devastator…**_

Darth Vader eyed the collection of debris that was once a Star Destroyer with a seemingly emotionless face, imagining that if he sent out probe droids, one of them would find the former Grand Inquisitor's body floating in space, unless it had been vaporised in the explosion, a fate that Vader assumed was what had befallen the former Grand Inquisitor. Not that Vader cared what had happened to them. Either way, the Grand Inquisitor would have died for his failures.

"Lord Vader?"

Vader turned to find the Devastator's commander standing behind him. "Admiral Ozzel. What news?"

"Recovery ships have picked up an escape pod with several survivors inside. We have only just confirmed that neither of the Inquisitors are among the survivors."

Vader dismissively waved his hand. "The fate of the Inquisitors on board that Star Destroyer are no concern of mine anymore, admiral. They can and have been replaced." Vader then inquired: "Any information as to who the survivors are?"

"General Stannis Okada, Colonel Joffrey Stark, Frederick the Cat, and Alec Devron Otranto." Ozzel replied. "They are on their way here now."

Vader nodded dismissively as he folded his arms. "Tell them I await their report into what happened on that Star Destroyer. I would discover just how the Freedom Fighters managed to get on board."

Admiral Ozzell nodded and turned away, leaving Vader alone.

Vader once again turned to the visage of the debris that was once the Grand Inquisitor's flagship. He recalled how the former Grand Inquisitor had told him once that the Freedom Fighters were nothing more than a small band of dissidents that would be obliterated once their base was discovered. As he watched the debris of the Grand Inquisitor's Star Destroyer float about aimlessly in space, Vader began to seriously doubt the credibility and validity of the now deceased Grand Inquisitor's words. For Vader knew, 'a small band' of rebels would never be able to pull off something like this. He knew since he had tried once, but failed miserably.

He was driven once more from thought when Admiral Ozzel appeared.

"Lord Vader, the survivors are here."

Vader turned to see two dishevelled looking Imperial Officers, one fairly shaken up Mobian, and a hardly affected-at-all human. Looking again towards the debris of the Star Destroyer, he turned away and strode towards the survivors. They had some explaining to do.

* * *

 _ **Later, Angel Island Hangar, 7:30 am…**_

"Roman, we're here."

Roman looked up from where he was sat to see Ashley standing there, a saddened look crossing her face. "Thanks, Ash." Roman replied. He rose to his feet as he said: "Just give me a couple of seconds longer."

Ashley sighed as she nodded understanding.

Roman looked up and asked: "Are Ahsoka and the baby alright?"

Ashley nodded. "They're fine. Both are all cleaned up, and… well, they're as fine as they can be, given what happened."

Roman nodded appreciatively, and leaned against the wall, a clear look of guilt crossing his face.

Ashley recognised this and walked over. "Roman, what happened to Seth isn't your fault." She said.

Roman shook his head. "You're wrong." He said. "If I'd sent him away with you and Caleb…"

"Then we'd be mourning you and Tails, instead." Ashley said. "From what Tails told me, Seth saved your life during that duel. If he'd not been there, well, I don't want to think about what would have happened."

Roman looked away, which made Ashley change her tact.

"Sorry. That sounded selfish." Ashley said.

"No, no. It's okay." Roman replied. Shaking his head, Roman said: "Honestly though, I'd give everything to be in Seth's place. I'd rather he let Elias kill me then save me. Then maybe, he'd still be alive."

Ashley cupped Roman's cheek as she answered: "Maybe. But don't tear yourself apart over it. Seth wouldn't want that."

Roman nodded as the ramp lowered, and people started coming down in order to exit.

Ahsoka came down first, holding her and Seth's baby daughter with one arm as she came down, immediately walking over to Roman and Ashley. "Everyone okay?" She asked.

Roman's expression told her the whole story, and her facial expression turned gentle. "Roman, for the record, I don't blame you for Seth's death." She said. "Now would I ever blame you for it."

Roman refused to be lifted from his mood, however, and said: "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ahsoka. But quite frankly, I don't deserve any absolution. Seth died on _my_ watch, and as the commander of this mission, I deserve some of the blame."

"But not all of it." Ahsoka replied. "Be that as it may, I still don't blame you. Seth wouldn't want that. Not for his best friend."

Roman sighed before he looked up. "I guess so." He said. "But how are you holding up? He was your boyfriend."

Ahsoka sighed and said: "It's still sinking in. But I know that Seth wouldn't want me to beat myself up over it either. He'd want me to move on."

Roman frowned, but nodded, saying: "Let's go." With that, him, Ahsoka, and Ashley descended the ramp, finding the entire group gathered outside, facing away from Roman and the others. Guessing what was coming, Roman turned to Ahsoka. "Empire's Bane. Now." He said.

Ahsoka nodded, and walked towards the Empire's Bane, her daughter in her arms.

Roman watched her walk on as he turned again to the group, calling out: "I'll handle this, guys."

Those closest turned to see Roman approaching, and split, as did the others, until it revealed a person Roman was not too keen on seeing right now: Which just so happened to be a very angry Sally.

"You'd better have a good explanation for this one, Rome." She snarled.

* * *

Roman stepped further through the gap his team had made for him to pass through, looking at him expectantly. Looking around, Roman sighed. "Sally, I know you're mad, but-"

Sally fake-laughed before glaring straight at Roman: "Mad? Try furious. Have you _any_ fucking idea how worried I was when I was woken up by Amy, who told me you and everyone here had gone off on a potential suicide mission!"

Roman scowled as Sally swore. Whenever she did that, it was usually when she was furious. "It's not suicide if the majority of us survived." Roman replied calmly. "We only lost two people."

"You still could have all died!" Sally snapped. "And what's worse, you disobeyed a _direct_ order. I told you my decision on the matter was final, yet you went along and did it anyway!" Sally threw her hands up before adding: "Also, what the _fuck_ were you thinking, putting Ahsoka at risk like you did? She's _fucking_ _ **pregnant,**_ for fuck's sake!"

"Ahsoka came of her own free will." Roman retorted. "And she's not pregnant anymore. She went into labour during the mission, but I assure you, the baby was born safely."

Sally seemed to calm down slightly after that, before looking around at the people around her. "Okay." She said. "So, where _is_ Seth? At least tell me you succeeded."

Roman's expression tightened as he turned to the cargo shuttle he had stolen for the mission, in which Seth's body still lay. "He was wounded during the escape." Roman said, fighting back tears. "He… he didn't make it."

* * *

Sally's inquisitive expression became one of sympathy as she said: "Roman, I'm so sor-"

"Sally, _don't."_ Roman snapped. "If there's _one_ thing I don't want right now, it's _your_ sympathy. If you hadn't ruled out a rescue mission, we wouldn't be having this conversation!" Roman paused before saying: "I warned you the day you gave that order that if Seth died, his blood would be on _your_ hands. And like it or not, but it is."

"I was doing what was best for the Freedom Fighters!" Sally shot back. "And it was your mission that Seth died on, so in a way, his blood is on your hands as well!"

"Maybe, but at least I made a fucking effort!" Roman fired back. "Seth was my _best_ friend, and had I followed your orders, Seth would be on Mustafar by now, being tortured to death by Darth Vader himself!" Roman paused again before saying: "And then, we'd all be to blame. Years from now, if that had been the case, the history books won't be praising you. All they'll be doing is blaming you fully for involuntarily condemning Seth to death!" Roman shook his head as he added: "And then they'll ask the question: 'hey, how come Roman the Fox didn't pull his head out of his ass and do something'?" Roman folded his arms as he added: "That's not how I want to be remembered. I want to be remembered as the person that had the balls to go out there and rescue Seth, rather than one of the people who sat back and condemned him to a slow and painful death!"

"Oh, and I also wish to say that I can officially brag to Sonic that I had the balls to defy his wife, but he didn't." Shadow said with a smirk.

Sally sent him into silence with a harsh glare before eyeing Roman. "Be that as it may, however you want to spin it, my decision benefitted the Freedom Fighters. Because if I'd authorised a mission to rescue Seth, we'd have taken heavier losses. And I'd prefer it if that didn't happen. _That's_ why I made the choice to rule out a rescue mission for Seth."

"Well in case it hasn't sunk in, my best friend is _dead_ because of your fucking choice!" Roman snapped. Backing away from Sally, he allowed some tears to fall. "What happened to us, Sally?" He asked. "We used to be one of the best groups out there, ready to tackle any challenge, fight any foe, rescue any of our friends that needed it!" Roman folded his arms. "Seth was one of those friends. He needed our help, but you vetoed any action being taken, leaving it to me to do it myself!" Roman's tone grew angrier as he said: "That's not the Freedom Fighters _I_ used to know. The Freedom Fighters I used to know would have jumped at the best chance to rescue Seth, including you!" Roman paused as he shook his head, saying: "The fact that you didn't even want to _try_ to rescue him is disgusting. As is the fact that the other Freedom Fighters save for Tails, chose to obey your orders, instead of rescuing their friend!"

"Well if the Freedom Fighters disgust you so much, then maybe you shouldn't _be a_ _ **Freedom Fighter!"**_ Sally shouted in reply.

* * *

The entire group gasped as those words left Sally's mouth. She had _never_ said something like that to any of them. _Ever._

Roman's face turned to one of hurt as Sally's words hit home, and then to one of anger.

Upon realising what she had just said, Sally said: "Roman…"

"No, Sally. I understand." Roman said, his voice steely calm, as it was when he was on the very cusp of completely losing his temper. "Because I disobeyed your orders, and because I don't fit in with whatever vision you currently have for the Freedom Fighters, you want me gone."

Sally shook her head. "Roman, I didn't mean that, I-"

"I what, Sally?" Roman snarled, making her back away. "I meant something else? Because it's pretty clear to me that you no longer want me around. And don't give me the 'I didn't mean it' crap. You meant it." Turning to Shatter and Tusk, Roman said: "Get to the Empire's Bane. We're leaving."

Sally came forward, her tone becoming pleading: "Roman, please. I-"

Roman silenced her with a cautionary hand. "No need to explain what you've said Sally. I understand perfectly."

"No you don't, Roman!" Sally exploded, as she fought back tears. "I wasn't thinking when I said that!"

"Well, it came from somewhere, and I doubt it came from anywhere but your head!" Roman snapped. "You want me gone, fine. I'm leaving." At this he turned away, facing Ashley. "You coming?" He asked.

Ashley sighed. "Wherever you go, I'll go with you." She said.

Sally turned to Ashley. _"You're_ going too?" She asked, her voice becoming desperate.

Ashley scowled. "You brought this on yourself, Sally. Every decision you made up to this point has been nothing short of stupid. Your decisions didn't benefit the Freedom Fighters; instead you've split them down the middle!" Ashley sighed as she said: "There was a time where I thought I'd be a Freedom Fighter for life. Where I'd follow you to the ends of the galaxy. But now, with what's happened, I can't allow myself to think it will all be alright. Like it or not, your decisions contributed to Seth's death more than you think. And a leader that costs lives intentionally is a leader I refuse to follow." With that, she turned away from Sally and walked away, passing Roman, who was in the middle of a talk with Tails:

"I know you're disgusted as well by what's happened, bud." Roman said. "But I don't want your friendship with Sonic to end over what happened today. Plus, with what happened, the Freedom Fighters are going to need a Jedi by their side more than ever."

"But I'm not a Jedi." Tails replied. "Not yet."

Roman knelt down, for Tails was still shorter than him, as he replied: "Yes you are, Tails. You may not realise it, but when we struck down Elias, you showed me that you're ready. You no longer need any training." Reaching out, Roman placed his hand on Tails' shoulder. "Your training is complete. Fuck ceremony, and fuck the traditions. I officially name you a Jedi Knight."

Tails bowed his head. "So what now?" He asked.

"Now, you go home. Get some sleep. You earned it." Roman replied.

Tails sadly nodded before turning to leave, flashing Sally a bitter look before he turned and left.

Roman looked over the rest of the group and said: "Anyone else want to come with?"

It wasn't long before Cassian and his remaining men came forward. "The only reason we joined was to save our friend, Seth. Now he's gone… I see no reason to stay here." Cassian said.

Roman nodded, motioning for them to come aboard. "Get Seth's body, first." Roman said as they approached. "Before we go, we're giving him a proper funeral."

Cassian and one of his remaining men, that being Thane, nodded and proceeded to head over to the cargo shuttle.

Roman looked and saw that Sally was walking away, hearing her quietly sobbing. "Sally!" He called out.

Sally turned, her eyes tearful and her face gaunt with hurt. "What?" She demanded.

Roman frowned. "I want to say I'll be back, but I won't make any promises." He said, before turning to head up the ramp into the Empire's Bane, just as he heard Sally shout back:

"If I never see you again, it'll be a thousand years too soon!"

Roman's eyes began filling with tears, which he wiped away as he headed up the ramp into the Empire's Bane. "We're all aboard, Ahsoka." He said via his comlink. "Take us away."

Within moments, the Empire's Bane lifted off, and sailed out of the Freedom Fighter hangar, off into the unknown.

* * *

 _ **Moments later, main cockpit…**_

Roman stepped into the cockpit to find Ahsoka and Cassian at the piloting controls, the former feeding her daughter.

"So what now?" Ahsoka asked.

Roman frowned and sat down. "We head down to the countryside around Mobotropolis, and there, we build a pyre for Seth. And then, we give him a funeral he'd approve of. After that, we get the heck off of this planet. There're too many memories here for us to stay."

Ahsoka nodded, before saying "His body's where me and him used to sleep, if you want to know."

Roman nodded as he stood up and walked towards the sleeping quarters, stepping into the room in question, nearly turning away as fresh tears threatened to fall.

Seth lay on the bed he and Ahsoka had once shared, much of his body covered with a white sheet save for his head. A deathly pallor had come over his skin, as it did when a human died, and his eyes were closed.

Roman forced himself to move closer, as he sat by Seth's body, keeping his eyes on the body. It felt unnatural to Roman to see Seth this way, no longer as full of life as he had been when he had been alive. Without thinking, he spoke: "It still hasn't sunk in… that you're actually gone. Granted, it's been a few hours, but, the pain hasn't gone away." Roman bowed his head as fresh tears finally fell. "Neither has the guilt." He said. "If only I was in your place." He added. "It should be _me_ where you are, and _you_ where _I_ am!" Roman shouted. Calming down a little, Roman said: "It isn't fair." He said, feeling like a five year old complaining to his parents. "You still had your whole life ahead of you, and you just became a father." Roman leaned back and folded his arms. "You deserve to be a father far more than I do, right now. If I couldn't stop you from dying, then how the fuck am I supposed to protect a baby girl?!" Roman choked back a sob and said: "I know what you'd say: 'It's not your fault', but-"

"And he'd be right."

Roman looked up and towards the speaker, that being Ahsoka, who was standing in the doorway, her daughter now asleep.

Walking towards Roman, Ahsoka looked down at her dead boyfriend's body before looking back at Roman, saying: "I said this when we left the cargo shuttle: What happened to Seth was not your fault."

Roman frowned. "Maybe it wasn't. But, that still doesn't change how unfair it is!" He shouted. "It should've been me." He said. "It should be me lying there, not Seth. He deserved better than this."

Ahsoka walked up and placed her hand on Roman's shoulder. "Seth deserved a lot of things, Roman." She said. "But he was well aware that he wouldn't attain all of them. One of his favourite sayings was that you can deserve a lot of things, but even then, you're only likely to attain a few. True, he deserved to be a father. You and I both know that he'd have been a great one." Ahsoka paused before adding: "But let me tell you something: Don't sell yourself short because you failed to save Seth. I saw how you were with Caleb's grandson Eren, and I've seen how you are with the younger members of Angel Island's community. I know for a fact that you'll be a fantastic father when the time comes for you and Ashley. And while you're not exactly her father, you'll be good to my daughter, too."

Roman nodded as for the first time since Seth had died, a smile came to his face. "Have you thought of a name yet?" He asked.

Ahsoka nodded. "Seth wanted to name her after my mother if the baby was a girl, which she is. So that'll be her name: Ashla Kerran."

Roman smiled. "A beautiful name." He said, as the pair exited the room. There was much to do.

* * *

 _ **That night, a hill overlooking Mobotropolis, 21:00 pm…**_

Everyone watched solemnly as the funeral pyre burnt, its flames a signal to anyone watching that respects were being paid to the dead, and painting those that watched in a fiery red light.

It was upon this pyre that the body of Seth Kerran lay, his armour cleaned and polished, looking as new upon him as it had been when he had first worn it. His hair had been freshly combed, and his hands were over his chest. He looked almost as if he was sleeping peacefully. Only that sleep would be eternal, and Seth would never again rise.

Roman watched this with a bowed head, tears steadily falling down his face. He still wished that it was him on that pyre, and not Seth. He always would, there was no doubt about it.

He looked to Ahsoka, who was standing next to him and gently crying as she watched the body of the man she loved burn. Ashla was asleep in her crib back on the Empire's Bane, safe and sound.

Reaching out, Roman placed a comforting hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, soon feeling her hand on his. "He's finally at peace." Roman said, blinking back tears as he said it. "As much as it hurts to admit it, he's finally at peace now. With his mom. With Roth… with everyone else we've lost to the fucking Empire."

Ahsoka nodded and looked at Roman. "You still feel guilty?" She asked.

Roman sighed as fresh tears fell. "Quite frankly, I'll always feel guilty for Seth's death." Roman replied. "Just like I'll always think it should be me on that pyre right now." Pulling Ahsoka closer, as he did with Ashley, who was to his right, Roman said: "I've lost good friends to the Empire before. But… but none have affected me quite as much as losing Seth has."

"True." Ashley said, laying her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. "But broken hearts can mend. New people will come, and fill the holes that the deaths of those we love will inevitably leave."

Roman frowned. "Perhaps." He said. "But no-one will ever fill the hole that Seth's left behind." With that, he turned and headed on back towards the Empire's Bane. Never before had he felt so loved, yet felt so alone.

* * *

 **And there it is. The end to one of the best stories I've ever written in my opinion.**

 **And to be honest, I was crying as I was writing the chapter. Having lost people I'm close to, I know precisely how it feels to lose someone you love, as will those that read this. I only hope that Seth's death will touch the hearts of everyone who takes the time of day to read this.**

 **Either way, I assure you, Seth will return, in a soon to be produced fanfiction series centred around him during the Clone Wars: How he and Roman grew so close, how he fell in love with Ahsoka, all will be revealed within that series.**

 **Either way, I plan on taking a brief hiatus from fanfiction writing to focus on other interests, but rest assured, I will return with the final fanfiction in my Star Wars and Sonic the Hedgehog Series in due time.**

 **With that said, thank you all for taking the time to read this fanfiction. if you enjoyed it, then leave a review in the appropriate section, letting me know what it is that you enjoyed about it, and what you feel I could do better with future fanfictions. In the event that you _really_ enjoyed it, then favourite the story, and me, so you will be notified whenever I publish the final instalment in my Star Wars and Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfiction Series.**

 **Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you at some point with the final of my Star Wars and Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfiction Series:**

 **A Jedi's Final Stand.**

 **T-Rock14**


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